BY MELANIE MOOR for WEEKLY VOLCANO 5/30/25 |
Maybe you’ve heard about the Northwest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Processing Center in Tacoma’s tideflats. It’s also known as the Northwest Detention Center (NWDC). Maybe you’ve been hearing stories about people deported without due process. Maybe you’ve heard about the privately owned GEO Group that profits from the misery of the detainees. Or maybe you’ve heard a personal story about someone who has been abducted by ICE agents. Maybe you marched in—or heard about—the May Day protest of 1,000 people?
But have you heard that the reason most people are detained by ICE agents has little to do with violating criminal law? Did you know that there are people being held in the NWDC simply because they unintentionally crossed the Canadian–U.S. border at Peace Arch Park? Or that people legally seeking asylum—or simply returning home—have been waiting months for their court hearing? They aren’t criminals.
People are being held in the NWDC for civil acts. Others are being held for simple visa mistakes. The stories are all the same at their foundation: these mostly brown and Black people are subjected to harsh conditions for no criminal reason.
It’s a significant part of Project 2025, a conservative policy initiative written by the Heritage Foundation and being implemented by President Trump’s administration (https://whatisproject2025.net).
Recently, HB1232 passed as law in the Washington Legislature. “This bill establishes comprehensive regulations for private detention facilities in Washington State, updating existing laws to improve the conditions, safety, and oversight of such facilities” (billtrack50.com). Let’s hope this helps.
Pierce County Council passed Resolution R2025-139s in mid-April: a resolution of the Pierce County Council affirming Pierce County’s commitment to public safety, equity, and inclusive access to county services for immigrants, refugees, and all residents (http://piercecounty.gov/).
Pierce County Sheriff Keith Swank calls it unconstitutional and plans to defy the council’s directives and challenge it legally. He has openly criticized the resolution, calling it “unconstitutional.” However, the resolution aligns with Washington State’s “Keep Washington Working Act,” which restricts local government involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
I’ve been visiting a young Muslim woman who’s been held at NWDC since January 1. In the five months she’s been detained inside the detention center, she’s been outside for only one hour. One hour since stepping onto U.S. soil at the Canadian–U.S. border! She was then handcuffed and taken to the NWDC, where she’s awaiting her hearing.
Once given an alien number, the detainee surrenders all personal belongings, receives an orange jumpsuit, and is fitted with a locked armband containing their identification. The lucky ones share a bunk bed in a private room; others get a bunk bed in a large open room. Of course, the mattresses and pillows are lumpy and hard. Just like what you see in movies, the toilets are directly next to the beds with no privacy doors. Everything is made of steel, brick, or cement. Fluorescent lights, thankfully, turn off from midnight to 5 a.m.
Food is always the same—bland beans, potatoes, occasionally fruit and canned vegetables, and meat only on the weekend. Many detainees buy junk food at the commissary to supplement this monotonous daily diet. The GEO Group generates profits from the commissary.
No one wants to be imprisoned. Prison isn’t supposed to be luxurious. The problem is that the NWDC isn’t supposed to be a prison. It is meant to hold people awaiting deportation or ensuring that people appear for their immigration court hearing.
Tacoma has a humanistic dilemma in our backyard: a shelter, as seen by the federal government; a dungeon, as seen by Tacoma’s greater community.
Here’s How We Can Help
If you want to learn more about how to get involved, here are some options and resources:
• Advocates for Immigrants in Detention Northwest (AIDNW) offer support to the people who are released and many other services. They are in an RV and tent outside the NWDC. www.aidnw.org
• La Resistencia is a grassroots organization led by immigrants and people of color. Their goal is to shut down NWDC and end all deportations and detentions in our state. https://laresistencianw.org
• Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) provides free legal services for immigrants and refugees. They strive for justice and equity for all persons, regardless of where they were born. https://nwirp.org
• Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WAISN) is the largest immigrant-led coalition in Washington. https://waisn.org
