ICE denies U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon entry to region’s largest detention center

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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials Wednesday denied U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Delaware County, entry to the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.

A Chinese citizen died in early August while in custody inside the ICE facility. Scanlon said she was there to conduct a congressional oversight visit.

“The private prison director and the ICE manager for the facility came out and told me they knew there was a federal law requiring them to let me in — but that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem had ordered them not to allow members of Congress to visit these facilities,” Scanlon said in a video posted to X.

ICE did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Scanlon did not follow proper protocol.

“This was nothing more than a political stunt to get media, clicks, and 15 minutes of fame,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Members of Congress are legally allowed to conduct unannounced oversight visits to ICE facilities. The Moshannon Valley Processing Center is the largest in the region. Officials also denied U.S. Rep. Summer Lee, D-Allegheny County, access to the compound Monday.

Scanlon told WHYY News that she’s received complaints about the facility from her constituents. She said she plans to join Democratic lawmakers suing the Trump administration over similar entrance denials.

“There’s a lot of concerns that arise when you have the government incarcerating people and hiding what’s going on behind those walls — and that’s the purpose for doing oversight,” Scanlon said.

While President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown continues, DHS has asserted that members of Congress must provide advanced notice to be granted entry for tours.

“As ICE law enforcement have seen a surge in assaults, disruptions, and obstructions to enforcement — including by Member of Congress themselves — any requests to tour processing centers and field offices must be approved by the Secretary of Homeland Security,” the spokesperson said. “These requests must be part of legitimate congressional oversight activities.”

Scanlon said there’s a lot at stake in regards to Trump’s immigration policies. She pointed to the administration’s history of detaining and deporting people without a criminal record. ICE is receiving $45 billion from Trump’s latest spending bill, and private prison contractors are benefitting, Scanlon said.

“​​They’re spending an estimated $3.4 million a month at Moshannon in taxpayer dollars, and I think people have a right to know what that money’s being spent on,” she said.

The Moshannon Valley Processing Center can hold more than 1,800 people.