Washington officials ask court to force GEO Group to let state health inspectors into Northwest detention center

Governor Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown announced May 15 that Washington has filed a federal motion seeking a preliminary injunction to require the privately owned Northwest detention facility to allow inspections by the Washington State Department of Health.

The announcement, made at a Tacoma news conference, follows what officials said were more than 3,500 complaints about conditions inside the facility. "They've been turned away all 10 times," Governor Bob Ferguson said of previous Department of Health attempts to enter the GEO Group–operated site, calling the firm's conduct "totally unacceptable." Attorney General Nick Brown said his office filed a motion in federal court "to stop GEO Group and any private detention facility from blocking health and safety inspectors from accessing this facility and facilities across Washington state."

Why it matters: The motion seeks a court order to restore the Department of Health's ability to inspect private detention centers under a state law passed in 2023 that officials say affirms DOH authority. Officials said inspections are necessary to investigate complaints that allege problems with food, water and medical care, as well as unsanitary conditions and reports of assault.

Officials gave a high-level inventory of the complaints. Ferguson said more than 990 complaints relate to water, food and air quality; another roughly 900 concern medical care; more than 650 involve unsanitary conditions; and "more than a 100" cite assault or abuse. Ferguson recounted prior litigation against GEO Group that, he said, resulted in court orders requiring the company to pay more than $23,000,000 in two earlier cases.

What state officials say they will seek: If the injunction is granted, Brown said, "Department of Health will go in and inspect the facility like they do for countless other facilities in the state." Brown described the legal posture as one in which the GEO Group has repeatedly resisted inspection authority, and he said the Ninth Circuit has rejected much of GEO's legal challenge to the statute. "By refusing to let inspectors do their job, the GEO Group is violating the law," Brown said.

Department of Health process and immediate steps: Lauren Jenks, Assistant Secretary for Environmental Public Health, described DOH's typical inspection approach: identify violations, request immediate fixes where feasible, and follow up with reinspections rather than automatically beginning with fines. Jenks said DOH has already provided Tacoma Water data to the facility operators and offered technical assistance to create a water-management plan. She also said DOH refers complaints that may involve criminal conduct, such as certain assaults, to law enforcement for separate investigation.

On remedies and enforcement: Officials declined to promise an immediate punitive action without inspection but said the 2023 law includes finding authority and "some big financial sticks" that can be used if the state documents violations and a court permits enforcement. Brown said motions for preliminary injunctions often move quickly and that the district court will set the hearing date, while acknowledging GEO may attempt additional appeals.

Community partners' account: Malu Chavez, executive director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said her organization documents detainee experiences and warned of the human toll of detention, noting that more than 1,200 people were detained earlier in the month and that 2025 was the deadliest year in immigration detention in more than two decades. Chavez said her group stands with the state in pressing for transparency and accountability.

Timeline and next steps: Officials said complaints date back about three years. Brown said the office hopes a hearing on the injunction will be scheduled "fairly quickly" but emphasized that the timetable is set by the court. If the judge grants the injunction, DOH would begin inspections; allegations that rise to potential criminal conduct would be referred to prosecutors and law enforcement.

The filing is pending and the district court will set the next scheduling steps. Officials at the conference said they would remain available to the press after the remarks for a limited question-and-answer period.