Sage Datko  |  May 16, 2019

Category: Detention Center Labor

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immigrant detention center fenceIf you have been subject to or witnessed human rights violations at CoreCivic detention facilities, you may be able to join an investigation regarding ICE and illegal labor practices. Friends and family of ICE detainees may qualify as potential investigation participants, as well as current or former immigrant detainees themselves.

Immigration Detention Facilities Lawsuits

A recent motion filed by a group of immigrant detainees in California requested a California federal court to divide them into state and nationwide Classes, and allow them to move forward with their allegations of human rights violations by CoreCivic.

According to these plaintiffs, the corrections company CoreCivic has been forcing ICE detainees to perform labor at detention facilities for little or no pay for over a decade. The plaintiffs claim that they were pressured into joining supposedly voluntary work programs, and that if they refused they were threatened. Even when inmates were paid for their work, the plaintiffs claim that wages of $.50 to $2 per day violate federal minimum wage standards.

According to former workers, CoreCivic may be coercing inmates into working for low or no wages in order to avoid hiring and compensating employees.

According to the plaintiffs’ motion, “CoreCivic capitalizes on its complete dominion over civil immigration detainees by using them as a virtually free labor pool to complete admittedly essential facility operations.”

Former detainees of CoreCivic detention facilities claim that they were coerced into joining voluntary work programs due to CoreCivic withholding basic supplies and hygiene items, including toilet paper and toothpaste. In order to purchase these items at inflated prices from the center’s commissary, many detainees were forced to work for as little as $1 a day.

Some detainees additionally claim that they were threatened with solitary confinement and other repercussions if they refused to work. Immigrant detainees may have been forced into unpaid or minimally paid labor, including preparing and serving meals, cleaning the facility, doing administrative and clerical work, and doing laundry, as well as other work.

What is CoreCivic?

CoreCivic is a for-profit prison system that also runs immigration detention facilities for detainees waiting for their immigration status to be determined by ICE. It is one of the largest for-profit prison and detention center operators in the United States. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has criticized these centers and called them schemes that make money by taking advantage of their inmates.

According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, CoreCivic made more than $1.7 billion in 2016 and 2017. Additionally, filings from the Commission indicate that the detention facilities business is worth more than $3 billion annually.

In addition to detainees and their families, CoreCivic employees, volunteers, or visitors who may have witnessed human rights violations at immigrant detainee centers may be able to join a class action lawsuit or investigation.

Victims of minimum wage and human rights violations by CoreCivic and other detention facilities may be able to hire an experienced attorney and pursue compensation for these experiences and violations.

Join a Free CoreCivic Class Action Lawsuit Investigation

If you were detained in one of CoreCivic’s detention facilities as an immigration detainee with pending immigration status or deportation within the past year or you witnessed forced-labor practices, you may qualify to participate in an immigration detainee labor lawsuit investigation.

Fill out the form on this page for more information. 

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This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.

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