Randall, Jayapal Lead PNW Members in Demanding Answers on NWDC Contract

October 14, 2026 Press Release SEATTLE, W.A. — U.S. Representatives Emily Randall (WA-06) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) led Members from Washington and Oregon in demanding answers and transparency into ongoing efforts by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to purchase existing immigration detention centers currently owned and operated by private prison companies like GEO Group and CoreCivic. Currently, the GEO Group contract with the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC) is set to expire in October 2026. Earlier this summer, ICE purchased two CoreCivic detention centers in California for $1.5 billion and facilities in Kansas and Minnesota for $734 million. Despite these facilities having been purchased by ICE, CoreCivic will continue managing operations. In October, ICE purchased three detention facilities in Adelanto, California, from GEO Group for $950 million. Similarly, GEO will continue running the facilities and says ICE is considering buying 10 facilities or more from the company. “We are deeply concerned about the potential purchase of these facilities, as it appears to be an attempt to circumvent oversight and accountability at detention facilities. Both GEO Group and DHS have stated that acquiring these facilities is aimed, at least in part, at circumventing attempts by states to conduct oversight at immigration detention centers located within their borders,” wrote the Members. Any attempt to dodge oversight is particularly troubling at the NWDC, as Washington State recently had to go to court to ensure access to the facility for state Department of Health officials. There is serious cause for concern if this purchase is being made to shield ICE and GEO from oversight efforts by putting the facility under federal ownership. There are also troubling financial incentives. Under the Trump administration, GEO and CoreCivic have reaped enormous financial benefits. In 2025, both companies received an additional $2 billion in profit each, a 13 percent increase in revenue, and there has been a revolving door between the Trump administration and these companies — including border czar Tom Homan and Acting ICE Director David Venturella, who were previously employed by GEO. “As of March 2026, the Washington State Department of Health received over 3,500 complaints about [NWDC]. Individuals have reported being sexually assaulted by an officer in their unit; unsanitary conditions, including unclean drinking water, worms, hair, and metal in food, and black mold in showers; and insufficient medical care. State oversight is an essential way to help ensure that the people detained in these facilities at U.S. taxpayer expense are being treated with dignity. Attempting to circumvent such oversight by purchasing substandard detention facilities and continuing to allow such inhumane conditions to persist is unacceptable,” continued the Members. The full text of the letter can be found here . The letter was also signed by Representatives Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01), Janelle S. Bynum (OR-05), Suzan DelBene (WA-01), Val Hoyle (OR-04), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (WA-03), Rick Larsen (WA-02), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Kim Schrier (WA-08), Adam Smith (WA-09), and Marilyn Strickland (WA-10). Rep. Randall recently sent a letter to U.S. Forest Chief Tom Schultz demanding transparency regarding immigration enforcement activities on U.S. Forest Service (USFS) lands. She returned to the Tacoma NW ICE Detention Center to follow up on several cases her office is assisting with, including Julián Palacios Obregon, a human and civil rights activist from Colombia who’s been held in detention since presenting himself for asylum at the Sumas, WA port of entry in December 2024. This was Randall’s 11th oversight visit to the Tacoma NW ICE Detention Center since being elected to Congress.