Florida-based private prison company GEO Group has been hit with another lawsuit by a Washington state agency.
The Department of Labor and Industries has sued GEO Group because it has not allowed officials to inspect the Northwest ICE Processing Center. The Department of Health filed a similar lawsuit after officials were turned away twice while trying to enter the facility for inspection.
Last year, State Rep. Lillian Ortiz-Self, D-Mukilteo, helped pass a law that was supposed to strengthen the right state agencies have to conduct unannounced inspections at the facility.
“Obviously, they have something to hide,” Ortiz-Self said when asked about the lawsuits. “And that to me, is a tragedy. And that is why we feel like when you do business in the State of Washington, we’re going to hold you accountable.”
The Department of Labor and Industries filed the lawsuit last month in Pierce County Superior Court. In court documents, labor officials say they have made unannounced inspections at the facility before and have found safety violations.