ICE Detention Center to Pay More Than $100,000 for Failing to Protect Detained Immigrants
Posted on07/13/26 at 10:06
- GEO Group reaches settlement.
- California strengthens oversight.
- Landmark precedent for detainees.
An agreement between GEO Group and California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) strengthens state oversight of the working conditions of detained immigrants who participate in work programs inside ICE detention centers in California.
GEO Group agreed to pay more than $100,000 to resolve a case involving conditions at an ICE detention center in California’s Central Valley.
The agreement was signed in May and publicly announced on Tuesday.
The settlement follows allegations that the company failed to adequately protect detained immigrants who performed work inside the facility.
GEO Group Reaches Historic Agreement in California
A ICE detention center in California’s Central Valley will pay a $100,000 penalty over allegations that it placed detained individuals at risk. https://t.co/WBxgqQ1tfR
— Primer Impacto (@PrimerImpacto) July 12, 2026
The case represents a victory for organizations advocating for immigrants’ rights.
These groups have spent years pushing for stronger oversight of privately operated immigration detention facilities.
California currently has eight privately operated ICE detention centers, according to Univision.
The increase in immigration detentions during President Donald Trump’s second term has intensified the debate over conditions inside these facilities.
Advocates argue that state oversight is essential to ensure basic workplace safety standards.
Cal/OSHA Treated Detained Immigrants as Workers for the First Time
The case dates back to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During that period, California lawmakers approved legislation allowing state inspections inside immigration detention facilities.
In 2022, Cal/OSHA launched an investigation into the Golden State Annex detention facility in McFarland.
The investigation began after complaints from immigrant advocates and detained individuals at the ICE detention center.
Inspectors concluded that GEO Group committed workplace safety violations.
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According to the agency, the company failed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among detained individuals participating in work programs.
Inspectors also identified additional deficiencies related to workplace safety measures.
The case established a significant legal precedent.
It marked the first known instance in which California recognized detained immigrants as workers for purposes of state labor laws.
At the same time, the state treated private detention operators as employers subject to those regulations.
Individuals held in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are detained for civil immigration violations rather than serving criminal sentences.
However, some voluntarily participate in work programs.
Their duties include cleaning facilities, preparing meals, and cutting hair for other detainees.
Participants receive one dollar per day for their work.
Many choose to participate so they can purchase items from the commissary or make phone calls to family members.
Settlement Strengthens State Oversight in California
As part of the agreement with Cal/OSHA, GEO Group agreed to strengthen its disease prevention and control plans inside its detention facilities.
The company also agreed to stop appealing a ruling issued by state regulators last year.
That decision determined that GEO Group is subject to California labor laws.
The company did not respond to requests for comment regarding the settlement.
Cal/OSHA spokesperson Denisse Gómez emphasized the significance of the agreement.
«People performing work in these facilities are entitled to workplace safety protections, and this agreement reinforces Cal/OSHA’s commitment to enforcing those protections and safeguarding vulnerable workers,» she said in a statement.
The dispute between private detention operators, federal authorities, and state regulators continues.
Last month, a federal judge ruled in favor of San Diego County health officials.
The decision ordered the Department of Homeland Security and CoreCivic to allow an inspector access to the Otay Mesa Detention Center.
The facility has 1,400 beds and is located near the U.S.-Mexico border.
CoreCivic later sold that detention center, along with another facility in Kern County, to the federal government, according to CalMatters.
Meanwhile, several federal lawsuits challenging the one-dollar-per-day wages paid to detained workers remain ongoing.
Last month, GEO Group also benefited from updated ICE detention contractor standards, according to The Washington Post.
The revised guidelines state that detained individuals «are not entitled to wages or employment benefits under applicable wage laws or labor regulations.»
This week’s agreement adds another chapter to the ongoing debate over state oversight of privately operated ICE detention centers and the working conditions of immigrants held in federal custody.