Washington Moves to Force ICE Detention Center Owner to Allow Health Inspections Amid Ongoing Abuse Allegations

Washington state is taking a hard stand against GEO Group’s continued obstruction of health inspections at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. The private prison giant, which owns and operates the immigrant detention facility, has repeatedly blocked state health inspectors from entering the jail-like center despite clear state law and a federal appeals court ruling granting inspection authority.

On Tuesday, Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced a motion for a preliminary injunction in federal court to force GEO Group to stop denying access to state inspectors. Brown, flanked by immigrant advocates and faith leaders, declared, “Enough is enough. People are being harmed in this facility and inaction is no longer acceptable.”

The state Department of Health has received over 3,500 complaints about the facility’s substandard conditions, including nearly 1,000 related to water, food, and air quality. Detainees report meals contaminated with burned plastic, metal shards, hair, and bugs, and nearly 900 complaints concern inadequate medical care. These allegations come amid a disturbing history of mistreatment, hunger strikes, and even suicides within the detention center.

Despite attempts by health inspectors to investigate serious concerns—including foul-smelling drinking water and potential legionella contamination—GEO Group has denied entry 10 times since 2023. The company even instructed inspectors to seek permission from the Seattle ICE office, which has not responded.

This defiance persists despite a 2023 Washington law empowering the state Department of Health to inspect private detention facilities and a subsequent federal appeals court decision that lifted a temporary block on enforcement. GEO Group’s attempts to challenge the law have failed, yet the company continues to flout the court’s mandates.

The facility, with a contractual capacity of 1,635 beds, has seen a population drop since last year’s surge under the Trump administration, but conditions have reportedly worsened. Basic necessities mandated by the state law—like clean clothes, hygiene items, fresh produce, and adequate heating and air conditioning—are often lacking.

Advocates like Malou Chávez of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project warn that detainees, including some who have won legal protections, are choosing to self-deport rather than endure the facility’s brutal conditions. “They’re giving up,” Chávez said.

While the state can impose fines on GEO Group for violations, officials emphasize that their priority is ensuring detainees’ safety, offering technical assistance to address issues like water contamination. Ferguson remains cautious about pursuing criminal charges but insists, “First things first, got to get inside.”

GEO Group has until mid-May to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the case. Meanwhile, Washington’s fight to hold this private prison operator accountable continues—a critical battle in the broader struggle against the abuses rampant in the immigrant detention system.