Court Ruling Strengthens Washington’s Role in Immigration Detention Oversight

TACOMA, Wash. — A federal appeals court has cleared the way for Washington state officials to resume inspections at the Northwest Immigration Processing Center in Tacoma, siding with the state in a long-running fight over oversight of the privately run detention facility.

Court Ruling

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued its opinion Aug. 19, overturning a lower court decision that blocked state inspections. Judges said the detention center, which holds people in federal immigration custody, should be compared to other civil detention sites such as mental health institutions, not state prisons.

“None of the detainees held in the NWIPC has been convicted of — or even charged with — a crime,” the panel wrote.

The case now returns to U.S. District Court in Seattle for further proceedings.

Inspections Disputed

The detention center is operated by GEO Group, a private contractor. Washington’s Department of Labor & Industries said it last inspected workplace conditions at the site in summer 2024 and found no violations. Since then, GEO has denied entry to state inspectors from both Labor & Industries and the Department of Health.

“Despite hundreds of complaints and our ongoing efforts, NWIPC continues to deny entry to DOH staff,” agency spokesperson Kara Kostanich said in a statement.

GEO has argued that a 2023 law authorizing inspections unfairly targeted the company, which operates the state’s only private immigration detention facility. Lawmakers later amended the measure to cover other sites and add penalties for violations.

Transparency Fight

The company also went to court this year to stop Labor & Industries from releasing inspection photos requested by a reporter under the Public Records Act. Most of the photos showed routine safety items such as fire extinguishers and protective equipment, though some depicted shackles and gas masks.

GEO dropped the case in June. Labor & Industries eventually released the records, but with heavy redactions. Officials said the blacked-out material revealed camera locations and security plans.

Political Response

State Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, who sponsored the inspection bills, called the appeals court ruling an act of justice.

“We certainly should not be letting a private facility come in and profit off the backs of our most vulnerable people,” she said.

The Department of Health is reviewing the decision and weighing its next steps. Kostanich said the agency remains committed to protecting detainees.

“We are optimistic the federal courts will clarify DOH’s authority,” she said, “allowing us to conduct investigations that promote transparency and protect the health and well-being of everyone inside the facility.”

GEO Group has until Sept. 16 to respond to the court’s opinion.