TACOMA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A judge has ruled in favor of state officials investigating health concerns at an immigration detention facility.
U.S. District Court Judge Benjamin Settle granted two preliminary injunctions allowing for health inspectors to enter the ICE detention center in Tacoma.
The motions were filed in April by the Washington state Attorney General’s Office and the Washington state Department of Health.
In their lawsuit, both entities allege that the GEO Group-owned ICE facility refused entry to state health inspectors on numerous occasions.
Complaints against the facility have been mounting in recent months, ranging from spoiled food to black mold and other unsanitary conditions.
A state law passed in 2023 allows for unannounced health inspections at privately-owned facilities.
The preliminary injunctions will take effect within 14 days unless the GEO Group files an appeal.
