U.S. Sen. Patty Murray Questions Swift 10-Year ICE Contract

A $1.5-billion federal contract keeping a private prison company in charge of the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma is drawing scrutiny from Washington state leaders, KUOW reported.

The GEO Group finalized the agreement in late October to continue running the facility for another decade after its previous contract expired last year. The deal provides about 1,600 beds to house immigrants facing deportation at a cost of roughly $90,000 per bed.

U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat, sent a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin questioning the swift 10-year timeline. She asked whether the agency intends to purchase any existing facilities in the Seattle area and what funds will pay for the arrangement.

“ICE’s effort to rapidly cement the detention center contract for another 10 years appears to be an attempt to avoid the necessary public scrutiny that would otherwise accompany the establishment of new detention facilities and operation of these facilities,” Murray wrote to Mullin, according to KUOW.

The facility has faced years of complaints from detainees regarding poor water quality, inconsistent medical care, and feces in their food. Researchers have also documented mishandled sexual abuse allegations and human rights violations.

“It is abundantly clear that many in the administration, like Stephen Miller, are intent on weaponizing our immigration system to inflict suffering and cruelty on good people and innocent families,” Murray wrote.

“That is not remotely acceptable to me, nor should it be to you,” Murray said.

Federal documents state that rules of federal supremacy shield private contractors from local or state government oversight at the lockup. GEO Group has used that legal argument to keep local health inspectors out and to avoid paying detainee workers state minimum wages.

“Instead of working in tandem with state and local governments,” Murray wrote, “ICE appears to be pursuing a course that would diminish lawful local oversight of the detention facility, evade oversight, and weaken basic protections for detainees and workers.”

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