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Rep. Jayapal calls on DHS to end use of private immigration prisons
Jayapal has been at the forefront of efforts to end the use of private, for-profit detention centers, advocating instead for a significant reduction in reliance on detention and the implementation of humane, community-based alternatives.
Indian American Rep. Jayapal. / Pramila Jayapal website
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, has called on the Department of Homeland Security(DHS) to end private immigration prisons.
The representative sent a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after inspecting the Northwest Immigrant Processing Center (formerly the Northwest Detention Center) earlier this month.
In the letter, she told Secretary Mayorkas to phase out the use of private, for-profit immigration detention facilities by ICE and to terminate the NWIPC’s contract with GEO Group when it expires next September.
“I have long found the use of for-profit prisons concerning—a concern shared by many of my colleagues in Congress,” Jayapal said.
The representative continued, “As President Biden himself said in 2023, ‘There should be no private prisons, no private detention centers.’ Unfortunately […] the use of private prisons in the immigration system has grown: as of July 2023, 90.8 percent of individuals in immigration detention were held in detention facilities owned or operated by private prison companies, up from 81 percent in 2020.:
She focused on the two largest for-profit companies involved in this: GEO and CoreCivic. They have earned $1 billion and $552 million respectively from ICE in just 2022
Jayapal further stated that “they” have a responsibility to treat all human beings with dignity and fairness.
She wrote, “ All facilities operated by or in connection with the United States government, funded by taxpayers should reflect that. Unfortunately, it is clear facilities operated by private prison companies are falling far short of our obligations. It is time for us to transition away from using these for-profit companies.”
Jayapal has been at the forefront of efforts to end the use of private, for-profit detention centers. She has advocated instead for a significant reduction in reliance on detention and the implementation of humane, community-based alternatives.
The representative has consistently urged the DHS to close facilities with histories of abuse and has championed accountability and transparency within these centers. Jayapal has also conducted extensive oversight of the Northwest Detention Center, working to address the issues within the facility.
The Northwest Immigrant Processing Center (NWIPC) has been the subject of several troubling allegations. An Aug. 2023 report detailed human rights abuses at the facility, while a Feb. 2024 report revealed that the NWIPC and other immigration detention centers regularly place immigrants in solitary confinement for periods exceeding the United Nations' 15-day threshold, which is considered torture.
In March 2024, Charles Leo Daniel died after spending a total of 1,418 days in solitary confinement. Next month, it was reported that 41 emergency 911 calls were made from the center within a ten-week span which highlighted ongoing concerns.
A lawsuit was filed this month by the Washington Department of Health. They have sought to seek access to the facility after receiving over 700 complaints from detainees since April 2024.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal is also the sponsor of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act,. It is a transformative piece of legislation aimed at overhauling the immigration detention system. The Act seeks to end the use of for-profit, private detention facilities, repeal mandatory detention, and protect the civil and human rights of immigrants.
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