DHS Officials Block Pennsylvania Congresswomen From Inspecting ICE Detention Center Plagued by Abuse Reports
Republican leadership at the Department of Homeland Security is under fire after U.S. Reps. Mary Gay Scanlon and Summer Lee were both denied entry to the Moshannon Valley immigration detention center this week, despite federal law explicitly allowing members of Congress to conduct unannounced oversight visits.
Scanlon and Lee — attempting to investigate reports of inhumane conditions, medical neglect, and the recent death of a detainee — were turned away by ICE officials who said they were acting under orders from Republican DHS Secretary Kristi Noem. Staff openly acknowledged they were ignoring federal law that guarantees congressional access to detention sites.
The denial is part of a growing pattern of Republican officials shielding ICE and private prison contractors from scrutiny. Moshannon Valley, run by the for-profit GEO Group under a legally questionable contract arrangement, has been the subject of multiple civil rights complaints and a major report alleging physical abuse, medical neglect, and retaliation against detainees. Instead of allowing elected representatives to assess conditions, the Trump administration’s DHS has chosen to slam the door shut.
Lee called the move “executive overreach,” warning that Republicans are operating immigration facilities “in the shadows” while pushing a budget that adds billions more to ICE’s funding. Scanlon noted that the administration dismantled the DHS civil rights office that had been investigating conditions at Moshannon, leaving complaints unresolved.
Families, lawyers, and advocates are already struggling to locate people being detained — a direct result of the secrecy the Republican administration has imposed. Blocking members of Congress from entering a taxpayer-funded detention center signals not just a lack of transparency, residents say, but a deliberate attempt to hide human rights abuses.
Rather than address mounting evidence of mistreatment, Republican officials have chosen to silence oversight, shield private prison operators, and keep the public in the dark. Meanwhile, the people held inside Moshannon Valley — and the communities trying to protect them — are left with more questions and even fewer answers.
