One of the significant complaints about ICE detention centers is the use of forced labor in detention centers, exploiting detainees by using loopholes to deny them proper wages.

What is CoreCivic?

CoreCivic is a for-profit private prison company that runs immigration detention centers under contract with the United States government. CoreCivic, formerly known as Corrections Corporation of America, is one of the largest private prison companies operating in the country.

CoreCivic, along with other for-profit prison companies, is heavily criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union and other organizations for taking advantage of inmates or detainees and being paid by the government to do it. CoreCivic reported $1.85 billion in total revenue in 2016.

“Private prison companies essentially admit that their business model depends on locking up more and more people,” the ACLU states on their website. “The American economy should not include locking people in cages for profit.”

Detainees are reportedly paid between $1 and $3 per day, though in other instances were reportedly paid $0.50 or even no wages at all for their work.

These incredibly low wages are in stark contrast with how much CoreCivic is allegedly paid per day. For a single Georgia detention center holding 1,600 people, ICE pays CoreCivic over $100,000 a day, according to a report from Mother Jones.

Does ICE Use Detainees for Forced Labor?

According to the Project on Government Oversight (POGO), there is a significant difference between labor in detention centers that are run privately than in those detention centers run by the federal government.

While forced labor still occurs in government-run facilities, privately contracted facilities operate with much less oversight than do federal facilities. Indeed, unlike private detention centers, government-run facilities are required to give extensive and publicly-available reports on the conditions in their facilities.

What Qualifies as Forced Labor?

Detainees may be told that their illegal forced labor is actually a legal practice, which can make it difficult for them to know that they can pursue litigation afterward. There are a few key things to look out for to determine if the work done in a detention center is considered forced labor or not.

If you were threatened or punished (such as with isolation) if you did not work, this is considered forced labor. Being paid an unfairly low wage is another common issue.

Have Any Lawsuits Been Filed So Far?

Yes. So far, multiple lawsuits have been filed over forced labor in detention centers run by ICE, including against the private-prison contractor CoreCivic. According to a class action lawsuit, approximately 100 detainees were forced to work for $1 per day in a CoreCivic detention center in San Diego.

These tasks included things like laundry and running the commissary shop. Detainees were also required to clean their own pods without pay—something which was allegedly voluntary, but refusal to do so was met with “solitary confinement” and “physical restraint.”

Lawyers argue that this system of using forced labor violates both federal and California laws on human trafficking. Other complaints against CoreCivic have included poor living conditions, child abuse, and sexual assault.

Filing an ICE Detention Center Lawsuit

If you or someone you love has been subjected to forced labor in detention centers run by CoreCivic, you may be able to join a class action lawsuit. Thousands of people may have been illegally subjected to involuntary work 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 also be able to contribute to this investigation.

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