Congresswoman Summer Lee and Human Rights First Advocate Yannick Gill Denied Entry to ICE Detention Center During Oversight Visit

PHILIPSBURG, PA – Today, U.S. Congresswoman Summer Lee (PA-12) and human rights advocate Yannick Gill were denied entry by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials when they attempted to conduct an oversight visit at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, a privately operated immigration detention facility in Pennsylvania.

Members of Congress have broad legal authority to conduct unannounced inspections of federal detention facilities to ensure accountability and transparency. Human Rights First, a nonpartisan international human rights organization, has documented serious abuses and due process violations inside immigration detention centers, including at Moshannon Valley.

“Today’s denied entry into Moshannon Valley is another example of the Trump administration’s executive overreach. Conducting oversight as a Member of Congress is a constitutional right, and with numerous allegations of human rights abuses, our communities deserve to know how people are being treated inside these taxpayer-funded facilities,” said Congresswoman Summer Lee. “Transparency and accountability are non-negotiables in a democracy, and ICE cannot be allowed to operate in the shadows.”

The attempted visit comes amid mounting concerns about conditions inside immigration detention facilities, including reports of inadequate medical care, prolonged detention, and limited access to legal representation. Earlier this month, a 32 year old man died by suicide at the facility. The denial of entry raises urgent questions about what ICE is trying to hide from the public and elected officials.

“Blocking sitting members of Congress from entering a detention facility not only violates the constitution, but should call the public to question what is happening behind these walls that the administration is trying to hide,” said Yannick Gill, Senior Counsel of Refugee Advocacy at Human Rights First. “Oversight is a critical safeguard against abuse, neglect, and violations of human rights such as the right to seek asylum. Immigration detention should never be a death sentence.”

Human Rights First calls on ICE to immediately grant access to Congresswoman Lee and all members of Congress, and to ensure that all detention facilities are subject to robust oversight.