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ICE Detention Centers Overview
CoreCivic, a private prison company, may be using detainees in its immigration detention centers for forced labor in order to increase their own profit, according to a recent class action lawsuit.
Forced Labor in Immigration Detention Centers
ICE detention centers are not known for their fair treatment of detainees. According to ICE’s own 2009 report “Immigration Detention: Overview and Recommendations,” migrant detainees are kept in prison-like environments, are often subjected to physical and sexual abuse, do not have access to adequate medical care, and do not receive adequate nutrition and exercise.
On top of these conditions, immigration detention centers may be using its detainees for forced labor in order to cut costs and increase profits.
While forced labor is not always illegal—it is an integral part of the prison system in U.S. prisons and in other country’s penal systems as well—forced labor in immigration detention facilities is another matter entirely. This is because detainees at ICE detention centers are not convicts, and are instead primarily refugees who crossed the border into the U.S. without documentation.
Others didn’t come into the U.S. illegally at all, and instead were simply trying to obtain student visas or green cards. Some who are in detention have documentation and are waiting for their immigration status to be determined.
There are just over 200 immigration detention facilities in the U.S., and more than 73 percent of detainees are held in the facilities of privately-owned companies.
CoreCivic Class Action Lawsuit
A class action lawsuit has already been filed against CoreCivic, alleging that the for-profit prison contractor has been using its immigration detention center detainees for forced labor, violating forced labor laws and state and federal trafficking protection statutes.
“CoreCivic treats these human beings as a slave labor force. CoreCivic does not provide basic human dignity to these people and as a result, causes serious and severe mental distress and anguish,” the lawsuit alleges.
According to the lawsuit, CoreCivic gives a false statement to detainees indicating that paying them one or two dollars per day is a legal practice. When detainees are led to believe that what is being done to them is legal, they are unable to defend their rights and fight back, the lawsuit claims.
The class action lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Nationwide Allegations
In detention centers across the United States, detainees may be being illegally forced to work. Former detainees who have experienced forced labor practices may be able to join a class action lawsuit investigation.
How can you tell if the work done in a detention center broke the law, especially if you were told the practice was legal? There are a few key signs. If you were threatened or punished (with isolation, for instance, or in some other manner) if you did not work, this is considered forced labor. If you are not a former detainee yourself but believe you have witnessed illegal forced labor practices, you may be able to contribute to this investigation.
California Allegations
The Otay Mesa detention facility in California allegedly used a so-called “voluntary work” program, through which detainees were paid $1 per day. Detainees in California are protected by California labor laws (PAGA). These practices would at least violate minimum wage requirements and may have violated many other requirements as well.
Filing a Lawsuit Over Forced Labor in ICE Detention Centers
If you or someone you love has been subjected to forced labor in ICE detention centers run by CoreCivic, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit. Thousands or even tens of thousands of people may have been illegally forced into labor in detention centers across the country.
If you yourself have not been a detainee forced into labor, but you have witnessed this practice, you may be able to contribute to this investigation.
