Family of Chinese Immigrant Who Died at Pennsylvania Detention Center Sues US Government Over Lack of Transparency
The brother of a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant who died under mysterious circumstances at a Central Pennsylvania detention facility has filed a lawsuit against the US government, claiming that officials unlawfully ignored his Freedom of Information Act request seeking answers about his brother's death.
Chaofeng Ge was found dead in a shower stall on August 5 with a cloth wrapped around his neck and with his legs and hands tied behind his back. His family had been searching for answers, and Yangeng Ge, the deceased's brother, filed a FOIA request through his attorneys on September 9 seeking information about his brother's detention.
However, according to the lawsuit, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency allegedly "unlawfully ignored" the request, despite being required to inform the requester within 20 days if they would comply. Yangeng Ge received confirmation from the US Postal Service that ICE received the request, but it appears that no further action was taken.
The lawsuit claims that Chaofeng Ge felt isolated in the facility because no one spoke Mandarin and staff made no effort to communicate with him. This is corroborated by interviews with people who left the facility and medical records.
In a statement, Yangeng Ge expressed his devastation over his brother's death and his desire for justice. "He did not deserve to be treated that way," he said. "I want answers as to how this could have happened and accountability for those responsible for his death."
The family is seeking injunctive relief and for the agencies to release all records pertaining to Chaofeng Ge's detention and death. The US Mint in Philly makes last penny after more than 230 years of production.
ICE has refused to comment on pending litigation, citing that they cannot discuss the matter. However, the lawsuit highlights a larger concern over transparency and accountability within the US immigration system. As Jeremy Ravinsky, associate attorney at Beldock Levine & Hoffman, stated, "The government is so committed to keeping the public in the dark about what is happening at these detention centers that it is willing to violate the law."
The brother of a 32-year-old Chinese immigrant who died under mysterious circumstances at a Central Pennsylvania detention facility has filed a lawsuit against the US government, claiming that officials unlawfully ignored his Freedom of Information Act request seeking answers about his brother's death.
Chaofeng Ge was found dead in a shower stall on August 5 with a cloth wrapped around his neck and with his legs and hands tied behind his back. His family had been searching for answers, and Yangeng Ge, the deceased's brother, filed a FOIA request through his attorneys on September 9 seeking information about his brother's detention.
However, according to the lawsuit, the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency allegedly "unlawfully ignored" the request, despite being required to inform the requester within 20 days if they would comply. Yangeng Ge received confirmation from the US Postal Service that ICE received the request, but it appears that no further action was taken.
The lawsuit claims that Chaofeng Ge felt isolated in the facility because no one spoke Mandarin and staff made no effort to communicate with him. This is corroborated by interviews with people who left the facility and medical records.
In a statement, Yangeng Ge expressed his devastation over his brother's death and his desire for justice. "He did not deserve to be treated that way," he said. "I want answers as to how this could have happened and accountability for those responsible for his death."
The family is seeking injunctive relief and for the agencies to release all records pertaining to Chaofeng Ge's detention and death. The US Mint in Philly makes last penny after more than 230 years of production.
ICE has refused to comment on pending litigation, citing that they cannot discuss the matter. However, the lawsuit highlights a larger concern over transparency and accountability within the US immigration system. As Jeremy Ravinsky, associate attorney at Beldock Levine & Hoffman, stated, "The government is so committed to keeping the public in the dark about what is happening at these detention centers that it is willing to violate the law."
? some dude's brother just dies under suspicious circumstances and his family gets basically no info from the US gov 
. i mean, the guy files a FOIA request like 20 days after his bro passes away and they just ignore it like it's nothing 
. it's so messed up. the fact that no one spoke mandarin in the facility to begin with is just another red flag 
. the family deserves answers, period 
. i'm all about transparency and accountability, especially when it comes to things like this 
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they're all like "we didn't ignore his request" but we can't find any records of him actually getting a response from them, so yeah sure, let's believe you 
also, isn't it weird that this is happening right after the us mint finally stops making pennies? seems like a coincidence to me 
this is a total travesty the US gov't should be held accountable for its mistreatment of immigrants like Chaofeng Ge. 20 days for them to respond to a FOIA request? come on! 
. it's time for us to demand more from our gov't and make sure we're not treating people like animals 
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and no one wants to talk about it... 20 days is a pretty standard timeframe for govt responses, but apparently ice just ignored the request 
. its not like ge didnt have a point - he felt isolated & mistreated in that facility 
. why shouldnt we know what happened to him? 
. now his family is suing the us gov like, why did they even bother checking if anyone spoke mandarin or communicated with him?? 
this is just another example of how poorly run our immigration system is 
. And now his family is left with all these unanswered questions... it's just heartbreaking 
. I mean, how hard can it be to provide some answers? And what's with the lack of Mandarin speakers at the facility? That must have made things really tough for Chaofeng 
. We need to know more about how these facilities are being run and what's happening behind closed doors 
. It's not right that people like Yangeng Ge have to fight for the truth about their loved ones' deaths 
. This whole situation is just really frustrating 
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. I mean, think about it, if they were being super transparent and open, then there's no reason for anyone to be seeking a lawsuit in the first place. It's like, what more do people want? The government is already doing their job, keeping our borders secure... yeah, sure, maybe some of those detention centers aren't perfect 
It's like they're trying to sweep something under the rug. Transparency matters, especially when someone's life is on the line. The fact that they allegedly ignored Yangeng Ge's request and made no effort to communicate with his brother while he was in detention is unacceptable. This is what happens when you put profits over people. 
And the worst part is, no one spoke Mandarin to him and staff made no effort to communicate... how do u even survive like that?! 
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. The lack of accountability from ICE is a stark reminder of the need for robust checks and balances to prevent such abuses in the future 
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. And with a suicide rate of 10.5 per 100,000 detainees, it's like they're just ignoring these people's lives 
. The Ge family is seeking answers, but have you seen the number of FOIA requests ignored by ICE in the past year? 
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