Washington State Demands Court Order to Break GEO Group’s Blockade on Tacoma ICE Detention Center Inspections

Washington state officials are escalating their fight to hold the private operator of the Tacoma immigrant detention center accountable, asking a federal judge to compel the GEO Group to allow state health inspectors inside. The move comes after months of stonewalling by GEO, despite a clear legal mandate and thousands of complaints from detainees and advocates.

Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced the lawsuit Tuesday outside the Northwest ICE Processing Center, flanked by religious leaders and community advocates who have long raised alarms about conditions inside the facility. “The law is clear, yet the owner of this facility, the GEO Group, has continued to obstruct our efforts to ensure they are following state law,” Ferguson said bluntly. “The GEO Group is not above the law.”

Since 2023, state Department of Health inspectors have attempted to enter the facility at least ten times, only to be turned away repeatedly. Most recently, GEO demanded that the state file a request with the local ICE office, which has not responded, effectively creating a bureaucratic barrier to inspection. The state was investigating serious complaints including unsafe drinking water and the denial of detainees’ access to religious services.

This defiance comes despite a federal appeals court ruling last August that upheld Washington’s 2023 law allowing state health inspections of private detention centers. The law was part of a broader effort to increase oversight of these facilities, which have faced longstanding allegations of abuse, neglect, and unsanitary conditions. GEO Group has since sought to delay enforcement by appealing to the Supreme Court, but the 9th Circuit has so far refused to pause the ruling.

The Department of Health has logged over 3,500 complaints about the Tacoma center, which holds immigrants pending deportation or release. Roughly 1,000 of these complaints relate to water, food, and air quality issues. Detainees have reported alarming findings such as burned plastic, metal strings, hair, worms, and rope in their food. Other concerns include lack of access to medication, overcrowding, and poor sanitation.

The refusal to allow inspections has sparked legislative proposals to fine GEO for its obstruction. But until state officials can gain entry, detainees remain vulnerable to unchecked mistreatment.

Washington’s push to enforce transparency at the Tacoma detention center is a critical test of whether private prison operators can be held accountable for the human rights abuses that have plagued immigrant detention nationwide. GEO Group’s continued stonewalling underscores the urgent need for rigorous oversight and enforcement.

This story is ongoing and will be updated as new developments arise.