OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a bill aimed at shutting down one of the country’s largest for-profit, privately run immigration jails. The 1,575-bed Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma is operated by the GEO Group under a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and it’s the only for-profit detention facility in the state. The bill would allow GEO to continue operating the jail until 2025. The bill is likely to face a legal challenge. The Northwest Detention Center currently houses fewer than 200 detainees because of pandemic-related precautions. The Tacoma immigration lockup has long been a target of immigrant rights activists.
Washington state governor OKs bill banning for-profit jails
