TACOMA, Wash. — Washington state officials filed a federal court petition Tuesday seeking to compel private prison company The Geo Group to permit state health inspectors access to its immigration detention facility in Tacoma, following years of detainee complaints about conditions.
State health department officials have been repeatedly turned away from the Northwest ICE Processing Center, where The Geo Group houses immigrants under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to Gov. Bob Ferguson, who spoke at a press conference outside the facility Tuesday. The center can house approximately 1,600 individuals awaiting deportation proceedings.
Washington enacted legislation in 2023 establishing its “broad authority to enforce generally applicable health and safety laws against contractors operating private detention facilities.” The Geo Group challenged the statute in court, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the law’s validity. The company has until June 11 to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for review.
“Despite the mandate of the court and the seriousness of the problem, The Geo Group continues to defy our law by refusing to admit DOH inspectors,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said during the press conference. “In my view, this is not just a legal obligation. It is a moral obligation.”
When contacted by The Associated Press, The Geo Group declined to provide comment and directed inquiries to ICE, which did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday.
Officials report receiving approximately 3,500 complaints from facility detainees over recent years, with nearly 1,000 concerning water, food and air quality issues. Detainees have reported finding burned plastic, splinters, hair, worms and other foreign materials in their food, while also complaining about foul-tasting water.
Ferguson stated that health inspectors have been denied entry during all 10 attempted visits since the law took effect. The most recent rejection occurred April 20 when inspectors sought to examine the water system. Since Tacoma’s municipal water supply meets quality standards, officials suspect potential problems with the detention center’s internal plumbing maintenance.
According to the state’s court filing, inspectors were instructed to contact ICE’s Seattle field office, despite having previously attempted that approach without success.
