Judge sides with WA, will permit health inspections at the GEO Group’s Detention Facility

Washington has won two preliminary injunction orders against The GEO Group in which a federal judge said the company is likely to lose its fight to try to prevent Washington State Department of Health (DOH) inspectors from entering its Tacoma facility that it operates as the Northwest Immigration and Customs Enforcement Processing Center. 

U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle today granted the state of Washington’s motion for a preliminary injunction and Washington’s Department of Health’s motion for a preliminary injunction. In both orders, he said GEO must allow the state’s health inspectors into the Tacoma private detention facility, except for administrative and medical areas controlled by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Both orders will take effect in 14 days, allowing time for GEO to file an appeal.

“Once again, a judge has told GEO Group that Washington state has a right to ensure the health and wellness of people detained within our borders —period,” Governor Ferguson said. “GEO Group needs to stop fighting a losing court battle and follow the law. The complaints we’re hearing from people held in the facility are alarming. GEO Group says they’re false — if that’s true, they should prove it by letting our health inspectors into the building.”

“Everyone deserves basic health and safety, and this is a resounding win to protect the people held at the detention center,” Attorney General Nick Brown said. “The state has the right to inspect private detention facilities like the one run by GEO and investigate complaints of unsafe and unsanitary conditions.”

In 2023, Washington state passed a law (HB 1470) setting basic health and safety standards for private detention facilities and allowing DOH to conduct unannounced health and safety inspections of these facilities. GEO has been attempting to defy this law ever since. Washington state’s action was based on this law, whereas the Department of Health’s preliminary injunction was based on its general public health inspection authority. Both laws were vindicated by today’s orders.

In April, the State of Washington asked the court to issue an order to permit DOH inspectors to enter the facility to ensure that it’s following state law and to investigate more than 3,500 complaints from detainees about conditions there. 

Complaints paint a picture of neglect and cruelty

Detainees reported that the food “appears rotten, has been served on dirty trays, and contains bugs.”  One complaint reported that “yesterday for dinner, they served us raw meat. You can see the blood inside the meat. Many of us in the unit (54 people) chose to throw it away, but others made the decision to still eat it because they were hungry. Today, around 15 people woke up sick due to the food from last night.”

On drinking water, one detainee said: “The water tastes disgusting, it does not taste like normal water you usually drink, which makes sense because all the staff here bring in their own water bottles because they know the water here is not safe to drink.”

There are reports that sheets are not washed after someone has been sick with an infectious disease such as chicken pox or Covid.

A detainee with mental health issues had soiled their clothing but was refused clean clothing by one of the guards. There are reports of black mold in the showers.

Another complaint stated that at one point there were only two working bathrooms for approximately 100 people to use.

The judge’s orders are available here and here.

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