Full Breakdown
Moshannon Valley Processing Center: The Growing Campaign to End Pennsylvania’s Largest ICE Detention Facility
6/3/2026, 12:47:19 PM
Background and Contractual Context
The Moshannon Valley Processing Center (MVPC) in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania, is a 1,876-bed ICE detention hub that opened in 2021 after a brief closure ordered by the Biden administration. The facility operates under a $268 million, five-year contract between Clearfield County and the private-prison operator GEO Group. County commissioners will vote in September on whether to renew the contract.
Key Stakeholders
- Izzy Aly – detainee with Stage 3b chronic kidney failure, arrested in December 2025.
- Leonard Oddo – warden of MVPC and member of the Moshannon Valley Economic Development Partnership.
- Clearfield County Commissioners – Tim Winters (chair), Tony D’Orazio (Libertarian Party), and a third Republican commissioner.
- Congressional Visitors – Rep. Summer Lee (D-PA) and Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA).
- Advocacy Groups – Shut Down Detention Coalition, Free Migration Project, CAIR Philadelphia, Juntos, and local “Shut Down Detention” volunteers.
Facility Data and Reported Conditions
- Deaths: Three detainees—Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir (Eritrean imam), Frankline Okpu, and Chaofeng Ge—have died at MVPC in the past three years, each after reported medical distress.
- Hunger Strike: Approximately 100 detainees began a hunger strike in April 2024 to protest spoiled food and alleged medical neglect; five participants were later placed in solitary confinement.
- Water Quality: Detainees and visitors describe the drinking water as brown, with a “coppery taste,” yellow hue, and occasional white flecks.
- Cost Comparison: A locally produced billboard lists the annual cost to detain one immigrant at MVPC at $48,000 versus $22,000 to educate a child.
Official Responses
GEO Group officials state that “support services are monitored by ICE and, if issues are identified, we quickly resolve all of ICE’s concerns as required by ICE’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.” They also claim that off-site medical specialists, imaging facilities, emergency services, and local hospitals are available when needed. County officials, including Commissioner Tim Winters, have described MVPC as a “major economic driver” for the region.
Opposition and Advocacy
Local activists argue that MVPC harms tourism and imposes a financial burden on the county. Tony D’Orazio (Clearfield County Libertarian Party) and Bobbi Erickson (Shut Down Detention Coalition) have organized public comment drives and plan to attend the next commissioners’ meeting to urge contract cancellation. CAIR’s civic-engagement manager Zeynep Emanet labeled the series of deaths a “systemic crisis.”
On-the-Ground Accounts
Adrianna Torres-Garcia (Free Migration Project) reported detainees’ water as “brown and doesn’t taste good” and described limited privacy during visits due to plexiglass barriers. Erickson recounted a guard correcting a detainee’s negative food comment. J. Mark Barfield, a longtime associate of Aly, documented Aly’s loss of housing, vehicle, and pet while detained and noted Aly’s worsening pain after five months.
Conflicting Accounts and Information Gaps
GEO Group asserts prompt resolution of service issues, yet multiple detainee testimonies and independent observations describe ongoing water and medical problems. County commissioners have toured MVPC without speaking to detainees, and Rep. Deluzio’s request to meet a detainee was denied, while Rep. Lee received a “sanitized” tour. No independent medical audit of MVPC conditions has been released.
Verbatim Quotes
- “No treatment was given to me whatsoever when clear blood was spotted when using the restroom,” — Izzy Aly, detainee
- “This has become a convenient soap box to address federal immigration issues,” — Tim Winters, Clearfield County Commissioner
- “Clearfield County should not and cannot be complicit in suffering,” — Tony D’Orazio, Libertarian Party chair
- “You actually get to look into their eyes while they’re telling you about one of the most traumatic moments in their lives, when ICE took them, and how they’ve been coping with that this whole time,” — Adrianna Torres-Garcia, co-director, Free Migration Project
- “issues are identified, we quickly resolve all of ICE’s concerns as required by ICE’s Quality Assurance Surveillance Plan.” — GEO Group representative
Upcoming Decisions
The Clearfield County Board will consider renewal of the GEO Group contract in September. Advocacy groups plan another public-comment session next week, and additional congressional oversight visits are anticipated as the debate over MVPC’s future continues.
