Washington state says Geo Group refuses to let health inspectors into detention facility
State officials say GEO Group blocked inspectors 10 times and ignored more than 3,500 detainee complaints about conditions at the Tacoma facility.
- On Tuesday, Washington Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown filed a motion to force the GEO Group to allow state health inspectors into the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
- A 2023 law authorized state health inspections, a mandate upheld by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals earlier this year, yet operators have denied inspectors entry 10 times since passage.
- State officials cite more than 3,500 detainee complaints alleging substandard conditions, including contaminated food and inadequate medical care, at the facility which holds up to 1,600 people pending deportation.
- The state seeks a preliminary injunction to prevent continued obstruction, with Attorney General Nick Brown stating, "Inaction is no longer acceptable," while the law mandates $10,000 fines for each denial.
- GEO Group has until mid-May to petition the U.S. Supreme Court for review, marking the latest development in a three-year standoff between state and federal operators over facility compliance.
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Wednesday, April 29, 2026 LOCAL ► From the Washington State Standard — WA asks judge to force Tacoma immigrant detention center operator to let inspectors in –Officials from the state Department of Health have tried to get in to inspect 10 times since 2023. But The GEO Group, which runs the for-profit detention center, has […] The post Taking GEO to court | SC guts voting rights law | Horizon flight attendants appeared first on The STAND.
Hanford Sentinel
The spokesman-ReviewWA seeks to force ICE facility owner to allow state health inspections
Washington state health inspectors have repeatedly been prevented from entering the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, despite state law and a federal court order granting such authority. The state is now seeking a preliminary injunction to bar GEO Group,…
WA sues company running Tacoma ICE facility to investigate thousands of complaints
Washington’s Attorney General Nick Brown has filed a preliminary injunction against GEO Group, the company running the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma after state health inspectors have been denied access to investigate claims of “horrid conditions and practices” for detainees.
Associated Press News
Washington state says Geo Group refuses to let health inspectors into detention facility
Washington state has asked a federal judge to force private prison operator The Geo Group to allow health inspectors into its for-profit immigration detention center in Tacoma, which has been the subject of thousands of complaints from detainees in recent years.
Washington officials seek court order for ICE detention center health inspections
TACOMA, Wash. — Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced legal action Tuesday against The GEO Group, seeking a court order to allow state health inspectors into the Northwest ICE Processing Center after being turned away 10 times. The motion asks the court to order the private company to permit inspectors to investigate
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