Federal Judge Orders GEO Group to Allow WA Health Inspections at ICE Facility
A federal judge ordered GEO Group to permit Washington health inspections at its ICE facility.
Why it matters: This ruling reinforces state regulatory authority over private contractors operating federal detention centers, affecting compliance and oversight. It highlights the tension between federal immunity claims and state health and safety mandates.
- Washington's 2023 House Bill 1470 allows unannounced health inspections of private detention centers.
- GEO Group's Northwest ICE Processing Center denied state health inspectors entry 10 times since 2023.
- The Ninth Circuit affirmed state authority to enforce health laws at private detention facilities in August 2025.
- Washington officials filed a motion in April 2026 seeking a court order compelling inspections, which a federal judge granted.
Washington state enacted House Bill 1470 in 2023, empowering its Department of Health to conduct unannounced inspections at private detention facilities, including those operated under federal contracts. The GEO Group manages the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma where the state has sought to enforce these health inspections.
Since the law's passage, state health inspectors have been denied access to the facility on 10 separate occasions, most recently on April 20, 2026. This obstruction has prompted significant legal tension. Detainees have lodged approximately 3,500 complaints about substandard conditions, including nearly 1,000 concerning water, food, and air quality issues. Complaints range from foul-tasting water to food contaminated with foreign objects such as burned plastic, metal fragments, and insects.
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals addressed this issue in August 2025, lifting a preliminary injunction and affirming Washington's authority to enforce health and safety regulations at privately operated detention centers. Despite this ruling, The GEO Group has continued to block inspections, arguing that access decisions fall exclusively under U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) jurisdiction.
In April 2026, Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown filed a motion seeking a court order to compel The GEO Group to allow the inspections mandated under HB 1470. A federal judge subsequently ruled in favor of the state, enforcing the inspection rights despite previous appellate reversals. Governor Ferguson stated, "The law is clear: We have the legal authority to inspect private detention centers in our state. GEO Group has continued to obstruct our efforts to conduct these critical health inspections. That is unacceptable." Attorney General Brown added, "GEO Group is not above the law: they must allow health inspectors to inspect the Tacoma facility. Washington law helps bring accountability and transparency to otherwise opaque private detention facilities."
This case exemplifies ongoing conflicts between federal contractor immunity claims and increasing state efforts to regulate facility conditions, especially amid detainee welfare concerns. The ruling underscores that state health and safety regulations can apply to entities like The GEO Group despite their federal contracts.
By the numbers:
- 10 — number of denied state health inspection attempts at the Northwest ICE Processing Center since 2023
- 3,500 — detainee complaints about facility conditions reported to Washington state
- 1,000 — complaints specifically related to water, food, and air quality at the detention center
Yes, but: While the federal judge has enforced inspection rights, The GEO Group maintains that ICE controls access, and the company's current appeal status, including any U.S. Supreme Court considerations, remains unclear.
What's next: The next legal developments will focus on potential appellate challenges by The GEO Group and any clarifications on ICE's official stance regarding state inspections of its contracted facilities.