Push for inspections at Tacoma immigration detention center reemerges in WA Legislature
Following multiple lawsuits involving the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, state lawmakers are pushing again for greater transparency at the for-profit immigrant detention center.
House Bill 1232, sponsored by Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, would expand the definition of private detention facilities to include those run by nonprofit organizations. In fighting the state’s attempts at oversight in court, The GEO Group, which runs the Tacoma facility, claimed they were singled out by previous legislation.
“If they really had nothing to hide, they would have opened their doors,” Ortiz-Self said.
The Northwest ICE Processing Center is the only privately run adult detention facility in the state. GEO operates the center under a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The Martin Hall Juvenile Detention Facility, near Spokane, is not-for-profit and would be covered by this year’s bill.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/17/push-for-inspections-at-tacoma-immigration-detention-center-reemerges-in-wa-legislature/