A Muslim Cleric Dies in Immigration Detention Center, Sparking Calls for Reform
A man died early Sunday at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, marking the second death at this privately operated immigration detention facility in 2025 and the third in four years. Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir, a 46-year-old from Eritrea, passed away around 3:21 a.m. while in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The agency reported that he experienced medical distress prior to his death.
Shortly after the announcement, the Shut Down Detention Campaign reiterated its demands for Clearfield County to terminate its contracts with ICE and the facility’s operator, the GEO Group. They stated, “Imam Fouad’s death is a predictable outcome of a violent detention system that continues to cage people for profit and punishment.” The group emphasized that no amount of oversight can remedy a system designed to treat individuals as disposable.
The cause of Abdulkadir’s death is currently under investigation. He was a father of four and had been in ICE custody for approximately seven months, awaiting a hearing with the Justice Department’s Executive Office of Immigration Review. ICE reported that medical staff attempted CPR after he complained of chest pain, but he was pronounced dead by local emergency personnel upon arrival.
Abdulkadir had sought to adjust his status to a lawful permanent resident in April 2018, though records indicate he did not have a claim to citizenship. He was convicted in December 2023 of wire fraud and theft of public funds, accused of fraudulently acquiring over $80,000 in public assistance. Despite this, letters from nearly four dozen supporters sought leniency in his sentencing, which resulted in a year and nine months in federal prison and three years of supervised release.
The Moshannon Valley Processing Center has faced scrutiny in the past, with advocates calling for its closure. Past incidents include the suicide of Chaofeng Ge, a 32-year-old Chinese citizen, and the accidental death of Frankline Okpu, a Cameroonian national, both of whom died while in custody.
A GoFundMe campaign has been established to cover Abdulkadir’s funeral expenses, raising over $9,000. The campaign describes him as a “gentle guide” who dedicated his life to helping others and highlights the circumstances of his death as a tragedy of unjust incarceration.
As of late November, the detention center was reported to have an average of 1,600 individuals, nearing its capacity of 1,876. Advocates continue to call for transparency and reform within the immigration detention system to prevent further tragedies.
