Dozens of hospital construction workers detained by ICE near Bellefonte, Pennsylvania
Up to 26 construction workers from Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras were stopped in two vans while traveling to build a Pennsylvania hospital tower. Witnesses say some held valid work permits; they were sent to three detention facilities.
Sep 19, 2026Danville, PA

On August 19, 2025, ICE agents stopped two vans carrying construction workers on Interstate 99 and Route 220 near Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, as they traveled to a job building the Mount Nittany Medical Center patient tower. ICE confirmed 24 arrests in what it called a 'targeted enforcement operation,' though immigrant rights groups said as many as 26 men — nationals of Mexico, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Honduras — were taken into custody. A foreman driving some workers from their motel said he was pulled over by two unmarked vehicles, and witnesses said agents confiscated phones, questioned workers about their origins and work permits, and restrained them before detention, with some reportedly holding valid work permits and identification. The men were transferred to Pike County Correctional Facility, Clinton County Correctional Facility, and Moshannon Valley Processing Center. A state representative and local advocacy groups said they struggled for a week to obtain basic information about the detainees and raised due process concerns, including allegations some were coerced into signing self-deportation orders. Community organizers described the men as 'partners, sons, brothers and fathers,' saying the arrests disrupted households in the community.
“ICE and billionaires profiting off federal contracts are making billions of dollars from kidnapping our people. They are terrorizing families and attacking our neighbors who are literally building our communities. We don’t need $240 billion of our tax dollars to go to ICE and [U.S. Customs and Border Protection]; we need that money to make education, healthcare, and housing affordable.”
“We don’t need our local police enforcing federal law. It is not their job and has proven time and again to harm public safety,”
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Sources
- Danville ICE Raid: 49 Workers Detained Near Geisinger
Visa Verge·Sep 8, 2026·archived copy
- ICE detains almost 50 immigrant workers in two operations across Central Pennsylvania, according to advocates.
Media News Source·Sep 8, 2026·archived copy
- ICE arrested nearly 50 immigrant workers in two central Pennsylvania operations, advocates say
- ICE raid targets Danville area workers
Show 10 more sources ↓Show fewer sources ↑
- Nearly 50 immigrant workers detained during ICE raids at central Pa. construction site
Audacy·Sep 9, 2026
- PennLive
- ICE Raids at Geisinger Construction Site Lead to Over 40 Arrests
Common Good News·Sep 9, 2026
- Immigrant advocates say ICE arrested dozens at Geisinger Medical Center construction site in Danville
WVIA·Sep 9, 2026
- Pennsylvania Capital-Star
- News from the States
- What happened at Geisinger? Arrests near Danville hospital show difficulty tracking ICE activity.
Mon Valley Independent·Sep 19, 2026
- ICE enforcement around healthcare facilities in Pa. leads to fears about immigrants who need care
- ICE detainment of 24 sparks outrage in Centre County
North Central PA·Aug 22, 2025
- ICE Confirms 24 Arrested in Centre County
State College Online·Aug 26, 2025
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