Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced Tuesday that the state is seeking a federal court order to stop the contractor that runs the immigration-detention center in Tacoma from blocking state health inspections at the facility.
Over the past three years, the state Department of Health has received more than 3,500 complaints from people detained at the Northwest ICE Processing Center about poor water, food and air quality, allegations of sexual assault, lack of access to religious services and medical neglect. According to court filings from the state, complaints continue to be made almost daily.
Inspectors have been prevented from entering the detention center to investigate complaints 10 times, according to the Attorney General’s Office. Despite an August ruling from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals affirming that the DOH has authority to inspect the facility, inspections have continued to be blocked as recently as April 20…