Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced legal action against The GEO Group to force state health inspectors into the Northwest ICE Processing Center and review more than 3,500 detainee complaints about conditions there. This article was updated on May 7, 2026 at 2:30 p.m. with a statement from an ICE spokesperson. Originally published on April 28, 2026. TACOMA, Wash. — Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced legal action against The GEO Group to force state health inspectors into the Northwest ICE Processing Center and review more than 3,500 detainee complaints about conditions there.The state said Department of Health inspectors had been turned away 10 times, including twice after an appeals court affirmed the agency’s inspection authority. The attorney general’s office said it filed a motion for a preliminary injunction after GEO again refused inspectors access, most recently on April 20.“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. We’ve beaten GEO in court before and we’ll beat them again,” Ferguson said.Brown said the case centered on transparency and accountability at the Tacoma facility. He said Washington law gave the state a way to check health and safety conditions inside private detention centers.“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. The fact that GEO Group resists basic health and safety inspections and refuses to follow the law should trouble all Washingtonians,” Brown said. Attorney General Nick Brown Governor Ferguson's Office According to the announcement, two people have died while detained at the Tacoma facility since 2024 and six others have attempted suicide. Medical emergencies, contaminated food, dirty conditions and abuse by staff were also ignored, said Ferguson.Some detainees reported food with bugs, hair, worms and other debris. One complaint said food “appears rotten, has been served on dirty trays and contains bugs.”Another detainee described a meal that left people sick.“[Y]esterday 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.”The release said detainees also raised concerns about drinking water, bathrooms, laundry and access to clean clothing. One detainee said staff brought used underwear and socks that smelled bad after a request for clean clothes.A separate complaint raised concern about water inside the facility.“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.” Governor Ferguson's Office Washington lawmakers passed HB 1470 in 2023 to set health and safety standards for private detention facilities and allow unannounced inspections by the Department of Health.An injunction had blocked parts of the law until the Ninth Circuit vacated it in August 2025 and formally lifted it in March 2026.The state also pointed to GEO’s earlier legal fight over detainee pay. A federal jury in 2021 found GEO violated Washington minimum wage law and ordered the company to pay $23.2 million. The Ninth Circuit upheld that ruling in January 2025. Video of the press conference can be viewed here.NonStop Local reached out to ICE for comment on the lawsuit and received the following statement from an ICE spokesperson: Washington state’s Department of Health did not follow long-established procedures to request access to the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma. Had they done so, there would have been no need for this lawsuit since they would have received access to inspect the facility. They cannot just show up unannounced and expect to be let in. What they would find had they followed the established procedures is that ICE has maintained a higher standard of care than most prisons holding U.S. citizens—including access to proper medical care. ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards.Any claim that there are subprime conditions at ICE Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma are FALSE. Ensuring the safety, security, and well-being of individuals in our custody is a top priority at ICE.Detainees receive medical, dental, and mental health intake screening within 12 hours of arriving at each detention facility, a full health assessment within 14 days of entering ICE custody or arrival at a facility, and access to necessary medical appointments and 24-hour emergency care. This is the best healthcare many of these individuals have received in their entire lives.During initial screenings, the facility’s medical personnel review medications individuals bring with them for continuity and provide urgent and life-sustaining medications immediately.ICE Health Service Corps immediately takes steps to quarantine and control further spread and infection, ceasing all movement within the facility and quarantining all individuals suspected of making contact with the infected. Medical staff monitors the detainees’ conditions and will take appropriate and active steps to prevent further infection. All detainees are provided with 3 meals a day, clean water, clothing, bedding, showers, soap, and toiletries. Illegal aliens also have access to phones to communicate with their family members and lawyers. Certified dieticians evaluate meals. Detainees have access to snacks between meals and GEO has an independent contractor test water quality quarterly.ICE is regularly audited and inspected by external agencies to ensure that all ICE facilities comply with performance-based national detention standards.Being in detention is a choice. We encourage all individuals here illegally to take control of their departure with the CBP Home App. The United States is offering $2,600 and a free flight to self-deport now. We encourage everyone here illegally to take advantage of this offer and reserve the opportunity to return legally in the future. Otherwise, individuals will be arrested and deported without a chance to return.