Northwest Detention Center

The GEO Group, the operator of a private detention center in Tacoma, has filed a lawsuit against Washington opposing new legislation that would regulate private detention facilities in the state. With the signing of House Bill 1470 into law in May, the Washington State Department of Health was given the authority to do unannounced inspections of private detention facilities and establish standards regarding health and safety for these facilities.

Over 100 people participated in a hunger strike last week at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, known colloquially as the Northwest Detention Center.The strike ended on Feb. 5 after four days according to detention abolitionist group La Resistencia.

Maria Leónides Pérez’s son, Santiago Ortuno Pérez, has been detained in the Northwest ICE Processing Center, also known as the Northwest Detention Center, in Tacoma for a little more than three years.During his time in detention, Ortuno Pérez has spent at least 10 months in segregation from the general population. He said he’s there now, and has been for 51 days, according to a call between him and Maru Mora-Villalpando, of immigrant advocacy group La Resistenica, on Jan. 5.

In September, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit overturned legislation in California that had banned private detention in the state.Now Washingtonians are waiting to see how that decision could impact a similar statue here.

Immigrant advocacy group, La Resistencia in Tacoma, has started a petition to block the pending deportation of a person detained at the Northwest Detention Center.

In an effort to bring awareness with art, artists have been creating portraits of people detained at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma since 2020. The portraits are posted on La Resistencia’s social media accounts, an organization working to end detentions and deportations.

Visitors are once again allowed in the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. Lauren Gallup reports it’s been more than two years since detained immigrants have received visitors to the facility.

Thirteen people at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma are on a hunger strike. Lauren Gallup reports.

Defensores de inmigrantes piden que ICE vuelva a permitir visitas en centros de detención

Immigration advocates are calling for detention centers to reinstate visitation rights that were taken away in March 2020 because of the pandemic