Washington State Moves to Break GEO Group’s Blockade on ICE Detention Center Health Inspections

Washington state is taking a stand against GEO Group’s blatant obstruction of health inspections at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. Despite a clear state law and a federal court ruling granting inspectors access, GEO Group, the private prison giant running the facility, has repeatedly denied entry to state health officials.

Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced the lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction to end GEO’s stonewalling. “Enough is enough,” Brown declared, highlighting the urgent harm faced by detainees inside the facility. The Department of Health has logged more than 3,500 complaints alleging substandard and dangerous conditions, ranging from contaminated food and foul-smelling water to inadequate medical care.

State health inspectors have tried and failed to enter the facility 10 times since 2023, including a recent attempt to investigate possible legionella risks in the drinking water. GEO Group directed inspectors to get permission from ICE’s Seattle office, which never responded. As state inspector Joseph Laxson told the court, “I do not believe we will ever receive a response from ICE’s Seattle office.”

This defiance comes despite the state winning a legal battle last year when a federal appeals court lifted an injunction blocking Washington’s authority to inspect the private detention center. GEO Group’s continued refusal to comply is a brazen violation of the law and a dangerous disregard for detainee safety.

Conditions at the Tacoma facility have long been under scrutiny. Advocates and researchers have documented abuse, neglect, and mental health crises, including hunger strikes and suicide attempts. Complaints include meals contaminated with burned plastic, metal, hair, and bugs, and nearly a thousand reports related to water, food, and air quality problems. Over 900 complaints focus on inadequate medical attention.

The toll on detainees’ well-being is so severe that some choose to self-deport rather than endure the facility while fighting their immigration cases. Malou Chávez of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project summed it up: “They’re giving up.”

Washington’s 2023 law mandates basic hygiene, clean living conditions, fresh food, and proper heating and cooling in these facilities. The state can fine GEO Group for violations but has also offered technical help to fix issues like water contamination. Still, the priority remains clear: “First things first, got to get inside,” said Governor Ferguson.

With the federal appeals court ruling now in effect and GEO Group’s request for a Supreme Court review pending, the state’s lawsuit marks a critical effort to enforce accountability and protect human rights inside one of the country’s most troubled immigrant detention centers.