PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reported a third death of the year at its Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Central Pennsylvania. Advocates said it’s the sixth death in ICE custody this month.
Originally from Eritrea, 46-year-old Fouad Saeed Abdulkadir built a life in the United States as a beloved Imam, first in California, then at the Islamic Center of Northeast Ohio in Cleveland.
“In Cleveland’s community, he was well known. He was the Imam of a major mosque. His recitation of the Quran was beloved,” said Ahmet Tekelioglu of CAIR-Philadelphia. It’s information he learned about Abdulkadir from his friends and family on Friday, the day of his janazah (funeral).
“An Imam is not only someone who just leads the prayers, but also holds the community,” Tekelioglu said.
Abdulkadir died in ICE custody at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg on Dec. 14 after serving a 21-month prison sentence for wire fraud. Instead of being released back into his community, Abdulkadir was sent straight to ICE detention. He remained there for 215 days until his death at Moshannon. ICE said he was pending a hearing before the Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review.
ICE said he reported chest pains before his death. Advocates said he did not receive CPR until he got to the hospital. Abdulkadir’s official cause of death is still under investigation.
“It is important for our community to have this clarity and transparency from authorities around every circumstance that led to this tragic outcome.”
It’s also renewed a call from advocates to close Moshannon Valley.
“We are dedicated to not let this go because it just, like, could happen to the next community member tomorrow… and one death is just too many,” Tekelioglu said.
According to ICE, Abdulkadir adjusted his status in the United States to that of a lawful permanent resident on April 30, 2018. They said, “Records indicate that he has no claim to U.S. citizenship.”