The Northwest ICE Processing Center, located in the Tacoma Tideflats, is an immigration detention facility operated by GEO Group, a for-profit corporation that contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The City Council shares concern expressed by the Tacoma community for the health, safety, and welfare of detainees held in the facility. The City joins other stakeholders in requesting the State Legislature to take immediate action to address these concerns:
Clarification that the NW ICE Processing Center is not an Essential Public Facility
In 2018, the City implemented local zoning regulations that prevent the Northwest ICE Processing Center from expanding to accommodate additional detainee capacity. GEO group has legally challenged these regulations, arguing that the Center is an essential public facility. The City requests that the Legislature clarify that privately-operated detention facilities are not essential public facilities, thereby resolving the litigation and upholding the local zoning regulations.
Regulatory Oversight & Ban of Privately-Operated Detention
The City supports efforts to immediately bring transparency, accountability, and oversight to the operations of the Northwest ICE Processing Center and eliminate privately operated detention centers as an immigration enforcement option in Washington State.