Northwest ICE Processing Center — Tacoma WA (GEO Group, 1,575 beds) · WA · 1,575 beds · GEO Group

Overview

The Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC), formerly the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC), at 1623 E J St in Tacoma’s Tideflats is a 1,575-bed privately operated detention facility run by GEO Group on behalf of ICE. It is one of the largest ICE facilities on the West Coast and the only dedicated ICE detention center in Washington state. As of early February 2026, the average daily population was 1,372, with 70% classified as non-criminal detainees.

Contract History

Original contract: 10-year agreement beginning September 28, 2015, valued at ~~$700M (~~$70M/year)
Original expiration: September 27, 2025
6-month extension: Signed March 27, 2026, covering through October 27, 2026, valued at $69,061,134.27
Daily operational cost: ~~$322,429 (~~$235/bed/day)
Long-term contract: Still pending; finalized contract has not been announced

Proposed Expansion / New Facility

In December 2025, ICE posted a pre-solicitation notice on SAM.gov with 200+ pages of specifications for a potential 1,635-bed facility (60 beds more than current capacity). Key details:

Office space for 60 ICE employees
Intake area for 215 standing individuals
1,485 male beds, 150 female beds
Estimated cost: ~$400 million
Model: “Turnkey solution” — contractor builds and operates
Transportation needs referenced to/from existing NWIPC, suggesting this may replace or supplement the current facility
DHS stated it was “not yet committed to the project” as of December 2025

Critical detail: The pre-solicitation specified the weaker National Detention Standards (NDS) rather than the current Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS), which experts called a significant downgrade. Differences include:

PBNDS forbids hog-tying; NDS does not
PBNDS requires annual drinking water testing; NDS does not
PBNDS mandates 24-hour medical staffing in medical housing; NDS does not
PBNDS suggests 4 hours daily outdoor recreation; NDS is less specific

Conditions and Abuse

Solitary Confinement

The NWIPC uses solitary confinement more than any other immigration detention center in the country, for longer stretches than any other ICE-exclusive facility. It is “frequently used on detained people who are mentally ill and others who exercise their First Amendment rights.”

Hunger Strikes

As of February 2026, there had been 12 hunger strikes at the facility in 2026 alone. One detained person was on hunger strike after 10 months in solitary confinement, demanding dental care, release from solitary, and an end to negligence. This was their sixth hunger strike.

Sexual Assault Lawsuit (February 2026)

Three men filed suit in Pierce County Superior Court (Feb 2026) against GEO Group alleging:

Sexual groping by a guard
One man slammed face-first into concrete, kneed while handcuffed, placed in solitary for protesting guards trashing his belongings (including his Bible)
Another attacked after requesting computer access for immigration appeal — pinned by neck, struck repeatedly including in groin

UW Center for Human Rights Findings

157 reports of assaults and sexual abuse to Tacoma Police Department between 2015-2025
Detained people were victims in 90% of cases
Only 2 of 157 reports were prosecuted
Documented: medical neglect, sexual assaults, tear gas use, unsanitary food, unsafe conditions

Forced Labor / Wage Theft

9th Circuit affirmed (August 2025) that GEO Group violated Washington labor law by paying detainees $1/day for work
GEO ordered to pay $23.2 million in damages (jury award + judge’s ruling)
Practice lasted from 2005 to jury verdict in 2021
GEO’s next potential appeal: U.S. Supreme Court

State Regulation Fight (HB 1470)

Washington passed HB 1470 (2023) requiring:

Fresh fruits/vegetables, A/C and heat, free telecom
Weekly mental health evaluations, rooms with windows
Unannounced inspections by Dept. of Health and Dept. of Labor & Industries

GEO sued (Geo Group v. Inslee), arguing federal preemption. In March 2024, a federal district judge blocked enforcement, ruling the law set stricter standards for the detention facility than for state jails/prisons. Appealed to 9th Circuit — oral arguments in 2025, with one judge appearing sympathetic to the state’s argument that the law parallels rules for involuntary psychiatric facilities.

During the 2025 legislative session, HB 1232 was passed amending related provisions. The Department of Health is not currently conducting inspections under HB 1470.

Sources

Update (2026-05-28)

The $69M Bridge Contract Embeds the 1,635-Bed Expansion AND Lower Standards

A key clarification from the UW Center for Human Rights “Scrapping the Standards” report (May 5, 2026) and reporting by The Urbanist (May 2026): the March 2026 7-month “bridge” contract ($69M, through Oct 27, 2026) is itself the vehicle for the capacity bump and the standards downgrade — not merely the separate Dec 2025 pre-solicitation. Per these analyses:

The contract raises authorized capacity from 1,575 to 1,635 beds (+60).
It moves the facility to the 2025 National Detention Standards (NDS), which UW calls “considerably less strict and rigorous” and possibly “the weakest standard for conditions ever applied to the facility since its opening in 2004.”
New contract terms reportedly: bar GEO compliance with state/local law where it conflicts with federal requirements; allow “reasonable time” delays for medical transfers; and require ICE approval before any public disclosure of detainee information.

UW “Scrapping the Standards” — Sexual-Abuse Accountability Gaps (May 5, 2026)

229 documented reports of sexual abuse/assault between Jan 1, 2015 and Feb 25, 2025.
Of 172 cases reviewed, only 58 had incident reviews; only 5 of those contained improvement recommendations.
Staff frequently failed to notify law enforcement; internal investigations overlooked key evidence.

State Inspection Showdown — Where It Stands

WA’s authority to inspect under HB 1470/HB 1232 was upheld: the 9th Circuit vacated Judge Benjamin Settle’s 2024 injunction (Aug 2025), mandate issued Mar 4, 2026, rejecting GEO’s intergovernmental-immunity and preemption arguments.
Dept. of Labor & Industries won access: Judge Settle approved a permanent injunction barring GEO from denying L&I inspectors entry.
Dept. of Health (DOH) inspectors remain blocked — turned away ~10 times (most recently Apr 20, 2026), GEO telling them to seek ICE permission. Gov. Ferguson and AG Brown filed for a preliminary injunction; hearing held May 26, 2026 in U.S. District Court (W.D. Wash.); ruling pending as of this update. DOH seeks to investigate 3,500+ detainee complaints; two deaths and six suicide attempts documented since 2024.

Hunger Strikes Continue

KUOW reported detainees began another hunger strike in 2026; advocates count multiple strikes through spring. NW Immigrant Rights Project’s director warned 2026 is on pace to be deadlier than 2025, the deadliest year in immigration detention in two decades.

Update Sources

Update (2026-06-02)

Five-day re-sweep. Little changed since May 28; the two pending threads (PI ruling, SCOTUS cert) had not resolved as of this update.

Ferguson/Brown DOH-inspection PI: still PENDING

No ruling has issued on the preliminary injunction heard May 26, 2026 (U.S. District Court, W.D. Wash., Tacoma) seeking to force GEO to admit DOH inspectors. DOH remains blocked; the motion asks the court to compel access to investigate 3,500+ detainee complaints. Watch for a decision in the coming days.

SCOTUS cert track on the regulatory fight (refines the “mid-June” note)

GEO’s underlying federal-preemption challenge to HB 1470/HB 1232 is now at the Supreme Court as The GEO Group, Inc. v. Inslee / Nwauzor, No. 25-828 (cert petition filed Jan 9, 2026; Washington’s brief in opposition filed Apr 15, 2026). Cert decision pending — this, not a new filing deadline, is the operative “mid-June” item. The Ninth Circuit’s Aug 2025 vacatur (mandate Mar 4, 2026) stands unless/until the Court grants review.

Ninth Circuit bond split — no WA-specific development

WA sits in the Ninth Circuit, which has stayed the pro-bond Maldonado Bautista district order outside the Central District of California (administrative stay entered Mar 6, 2026; recently extended). No merits ruling; the practical effect is that EI detainees at NWIPC generally do not get bond hearings under the district court’s order. See bond-hearing-circuit-split-2026.

Eastern WA / Yakima surge continues; deportation-flight tempo high

ICE activity in Eastern WA up ~190% (Jan–Mar YoY); advocates report ~20 Yakima Valley arrests in a mid-May week, including courthouse pickups after hearings (Toppenish May 6, Grandview May 7, Yakima May 13/18). La Resistencia counts 42 ICE Air flights through Boeing Field Jan–Jun 2026 (~1,342 out, 913 in via NWIPC). Hunger strikes ongoing (9+ in early 2026).

Detention Pipeline

Northwest ICE Processing Center — Tacoma WA (GEO Group, 1,575 beds)