Along with attorneys Andrew Free, Devin Theriot-Orr, and Meena Mentor, SGB filed suit against the GEO Group, Inc. in September 2017, alleging that GEO violated the Washington Minimum Wage Act by not paying minimum hourly wages to civil immigration detainees who worked for GEO in its voluntary work program at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, Washington. The lawsuit is currently pending in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington in Tacoma.

On October 29, 2021, a federal jury returned a verdict of $17.3 million in favor of the class of detainees who worked in the Voluntary Work Program at the Northwest Ice Process Center (formerly known as the Northwest Detention Center) in Tacoma, Washington, any time between September 26, 2014, and October 29, 2021. It is likely that GEO will appeal the jury’s verdict, which would delay any distribution of the jury’s award for a year or more. However, if you believe you are a member of the class, you should contact us at the phone number or email listed below to ensure we have current contact information for you.

For further information about this case, or to tell us about your experience in the voluntary work program at the NWDC, contact legal assistant, Mary Dardeau at (206) 233-1257 or (800) 809-2234 or dardeau@sgb-law.com.