Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The private owners of the immigrant detention center in Tacoma said they'll soon be in talks with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to sell some of their detention facilities across the country to the feds. It remains unclear whether those negotiations include the Northwest ICE Processing Center, which has been run by GEO Group since 2005.

The Northwest ICE Processing Center remains closed to state health inspectors despite a judge’s order opening the region’s largest immigrant detention center to state officials.

The order, issued Thursday, is the latest in a long-running fight between Washington state officials and GEO Group, the private contractor that owns and operates the federal facility.

Washington Head Start providers are among those saying immigration enforcement is leading more students to miss class and show signs of anxiety, stress and trauma.

Gov. Bob Ferguson and Attorney General Nick Brown are weighing in on an ongoing battle between the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma and the state’s health department.

The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network said calls to its hotline came from across the state in 2025. In past years, those calls came mainly from specific counties.

University of Washington data shows at least 2,125 people arrested last fall, a massive spike in ICE enforcement.

Lawmakers are passing bills to counter ICE and protect voter data and vaccine access. After federal cuts, the final budget may backfill food assistance and healthcare funding.

Similar actions have been taken by cities in the region to limit or ban immigration enforcement activities, including Tukwila and SeaTac.

The ban would apply to federal, state, and local law enforcement officers interacting with the public or making arrests. It will head to the governor’s desk if the Senate approves final changes.