‘Left Without Interpretation, Visits Denied’, Death Reports Lack Answers [Interview]

Ge Yan-feng is still struggling to accept his brother Ge Chao-peng's death, which occurred in a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility last August. Ge Yan-feng asserts that ICE failed in its custodial responsibilities, leading to his brother's demise. Ge Chao-peng was one of four individuals who died by suicide in U.S. detention facilities last year.

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My brother died neglected in the detention facility.

According to the ICE death report, facility staff found Ge Chao-peng unresponsive in a shower room at a Pennsylvania facility on August 5 last year. Despite attempts at cardiopulmonary resuscitation, a coroner officially confirmed his death about an hour later. Ge Yan-feng, in a video interview, stated that his brother's death was an unavoidable choice driven by a harsh environment. He shared that his brother's suicide note mentioned a desire to be with other Chinese individuals, as he feared being alone among other ethnicities due to his inability to speak English. This request, however, was not granted.

Ge Yan-feng believes his brother, though physically strong, was psychologically vulnerable and should have had his transfer request honored. He recounted that his brother had no access to Chinese-speaking medical personnel or interpreters, leaving him with no means to seek help. Ge Yan-feng also shared his own experiences in detention facilities, describing overcrowded conditions where up to 30 people shared a room, leading to daily disputes over mattresses, with others sleeping on cement floors or near toilets.

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My brother's suicide note said he wanted to be with Chinese people. He was afraid of being alone among other ethnicities because he couldn't speak English.

Despite Ge Chao-peng's deteriorating mental state, Ge Yan-feng was repeatedly denied visitation, citing suicide risk. He argued that family contact should be permitted in such cases. Lawyer Jeremy Rabinowitz, representing the families, noted that while definitive cause of death is hard to ascertain due to limited ICE information, the circumstances are suspicious. He added that Chao-peng deserved better treatment, but the detention system failed him.

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He had no one to communicate with in Chinese when he went for medical treatment, and no interpreter or guidance was provided. There was no way for him to ask for help.

The family also expressed deep distrust towards ICE's post-death handling of the case. ICE did not fully inform the family about the death process and proceeded with an autopsy without their consent. The one-and-a-half-page death report contained minimal details beyond the discovery of the body. The family only later learned that Ge Chao-peng's hands and feet were bound at the time of death, leading Yan-feng to question the suicide ruling itself. The family's lawsuit against ICE is ongoing, with no clear explanation of the death circumstances yet provided. This lack of transparency is not isolated; an analysis of 117 ICE death reports over nine years revealed that at least 30 cases had unclear causes of death.

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There are clearly suspicious aspects to the process that led to his death. We will continue our investigation until we get the answers we need.