Washington Officials Demand Court Order to Force Health Inspections at Troubled ICE Detention Center

Washington state leaders are escalating their fight against The GEO Group, the private company running the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, by seeking a court order to force health inspections at the facility. Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced legal action after state Department of Health inspectors were turned away ten times, including twice since an appeals court affirmed the agency’s authority to conduct these inspections.

The stakes could not be higher. Since 2024, two detainees have died at the Tacoma facility, and six others have attempted suicide. Meanwhile, ICE nationwide has seen a 70% increase in immigrant detentions under President Donald Trump’s second term, with 46 deaths in custody reported just last month—the highest in two decades.

The complaints from detainees paint a grim picture of neglect and cruelty. Over 3,500 reports describe medical emergencies ignored, contaminated and rotten food served with foreign objects like plastic, metal, and worms, and unsanitary conditions including only two working bathrooms for about 100 people. One detainee described being served raw meat that sickened many, while another said the drinking water was so foul that staff bring their own bottles.

Basic hygiene is denied as well. Detainees report being given dirty clothes, sometimes belonging to others, and sheets are not washed after infectious illnesses like chickenpox or COVID-19. Medical care is alarmingly inadequate: one detainee was hospitalized but denied prescribed medication upon return, receiving only ibuprofen instead.

Even more disturbing are reports of abuse and sexual assault within the facility, with one individual recounting multiple incidents and fearing for her safety.

This is not GEO Group’s first legal battle in Washington. Gov. Ferguson previously sued the company for paying detainee workers only $1 per day, violating minimum wage laws. A federal jury awarded $23.2 million in damages, a decision upheld by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in 2025. GEO is now seeking Supreme Court review.

Washington’s 2023 law (HB 1470) mandates health and safety standards for private detention centers and empowers the Department of Health to conduct unannounced inspections. GEO Group has fought these provisions, initially securing a judge’s block on much of the law. However, the Ninth Circuit vacated the injunction in August 2025, reaffirming the state’s authority.

Gov. Ferguson and Attorney General Brown are determined to enforce these protections: “GEO Group is not above the law,” Brown said. “Their resistance to basic health inspections should alarm all Washingtonians.”

The legal battle underscores a broader pattern of private detention centers operating with impunity, endangering the health and dignity of those in custody. As ICE detention numbers surge and deaths mount, Washington’s push for transparency and accountability could set a critical precedent.

Read the full motion here: https://agportal-s3bucket.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Complex%20Litigation/063_MotPI.pdf?VersionId=BSldOfgU2SVVXHRjr6lMhZqgQ4jyR1zq