Washington Wins Court Battle to Inspect Tacoma ICE Detention Center, But Access Still Denied

Washington state’s hard-fought court win to inspect the Tacoma ICE detention center has hit a brick wall. Despite a federal appeals court ruling last November affirming the state’s right to conduct health inspections at the privately run Northwest ICE Processing Center, inspectors have been denied entry every single time they’ve tried—nine attempts since 2023, most recently on March 20, 2026.

The detention center, operated by the controversial GEO Group under a $69.1 million federal contract renewed recently, remains a black box where detainees’ rights and well-being are at risk. Advocacy groups like La Resistencia and CAIR-WA report a surge in complaints from detainees, especially Muslim detainees during Ramadan, citing forced fasting beyond religious requirements and the serving of non-halal food. Sabrene Odeh of CAIR-WA emphasizes that the ability to practice faith is vital for detainees enduring extreme instability.

Washington lawmakers passed a 2023 law specifically to empower the Department of Health to inspect private detention facilities like this one. But GEO Group has repeatedly blocked access, telling inspectors to seek permission from ICE, which has failed to respond to entry requests. The Department of Health confirms it has received thousands of complaints—3,500 total, including over 2,000 documented by La Resistencia in 2025 alone—yet remains unable to investigate on-site conditions.

State officials, including Governor Bob Ferguson, have called out GEO Group for obstructing inspections and vowed to take all necessary steps to enforce the law. Advocates demand the company be held in contempt of court and face fines for defying inspection orders, arguing that private detention centers should not operate above the law.

This ongoing refusal to allow oversight at a facility detaining thousands of people raises urgent accountability questions. It exposes the broader pattern of ICE and its contractors evading transparency and responsibility while profiting off incarceration. As Odeh warns, the detainees are part of our communities—potentially family members—and deserve dignity, safety, and respect under the law.

We will keep tracking this fight for transparency and justice inside Tacoma’s ICE detention center. The stakes could not be higher.