Washington Representatives Call for the Closure of Private Immigration Detention Centers

by Nimra Ahmad

On July 16, U.S. Reps. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Adam Smith (WA-09) wrote a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to call for the phasing out of private, for-profit immigration detention centers and ceasing the expansion of immigration detention centers.

The letter was written in response to DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jointly announcing that they will close a detention center in South Texas while expanding the overall use of detention centers. The letter also comes just days after Washington Sen. Patty Murray requested a federal audit of health care services at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma following the death of a detainee.

Jayapal and Smith applaud the closure in Texas, but wrote that they are "deeply troubled" that ICE will continue to utilize detention centers. In particular, the representatives are against the use of for-profit, privately owned detention centers.

"The problems with immigration detention facilities, ranging from unsafe and inhumane conditions to the overuse of solitary confinement and unwarranted medical procedures, are well-documented by DHS's Office of Inspector General, media reports, and non-profit organizations," the letter wrote, citing a DHS management alert for the immediate removal of detainees from the Torrance County Detention Facility in New Mexico.

The Northwest ICE Processing Center — formerly known as the Northwest Detention Center — is for-profit and privately owned by the GEO Group, a security company that owns and operates various detention facilities throughout the country.

There have been various grievances and complaints made against the Northwest ICE Processing Center by detainees, including allegations of unsanitary conditions, medical neglect, use of solitary confinement, uses of force, and uses of chemical agents.

In 2021, a state law was passed by Washington Democrats to ban private, for-profit prisons — the law specifically aimed to close the Northwest ICE Processing Center. But the law was deemed unenforceable in 2023 after the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that a similar law in California was unconstitutional.

According to the letter, 90.8% of individuals in detention were held in facilities owned or operated by private companies, up from 81% in 2020.

"For-profit, privately-owned prisons are incentivized to make as much money as possible, often at the expense of the care and protection of individuals forced into their care," the letter read. "These facilities lack necessary oversight and are unsafe, which lead to a lack of sufficient health care and resources for detained individuals."

Jayapal and Smith are co-sponsors of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which would phase out the use of privately owned detention centers and increase transparency and oversight of detention centers.

Featured Image: The Northwest ICE Processing Center, formerly known as the Northwest Detention Center, has been the focus of protests and hunger strikes over conditions in the facility which holds about 1,500 people. Photo is attributed to clpmag (under a Creative Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 license).