SEATTLE, WA – Representative Pramila Jayapal Urges Overhaul of Immigrant Detention System Following Inspection
U.S. Representative Pramila Jayapal, who serves as Ranking Member of the Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement Subcommittee, issued a statement after visiting the Northwest Immigrant Processing Center (NWIPC), previously known as the Northwest Detention Center. Her visit was prompted by reports of inhumane conditions at the facility.
Jayapal spent over an hour at the NWIPC with top Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials. She expressed appreciation for their responses to her concerns but reiterated the need for a fundamental overhaul of the immigrant detention system. Jayapal emphasized that the current system, largely outsourced to private, for-profit companies, lacks accountability and is driven by profit rather than the welfare of detainees. She advocated for a transition to a federal-run detention system, managed by qualified, unionized federal employees.
“President Biden has stated that there should be no private prisons or detention centers,” Jayapal said. She noted that about 91% of detainees are held in facilities operated by two major for-profit companies, GEO and CoreCivic, which together earned $1.55 billion from ICE in 2022. Jayapal renewed her call for an executive order to phase out these private detention centers and continued her push for the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act. This proposed legislation aims to set standards for humane treatment of detainees and support community-based alternatives for those navigating their immigration cases.
During her visit, Jayapal also requested the immediate release of the report on the death of Charles Daniels, who died in custody after spending 1,418 days in solitary confinement. She promised to review the report upon its release and take necessary actions to address the case and prevent future incidents. Earlier, in 2018, another detainee at the facility died by suicide. Reports from detainees have included complaints about medical neglect, unsafe food, and unsanitary conditions, often leading to hunger strikes as a form of protest.
Jayapal has been a prominent advocate for ending the use of private, for-profit detention centers and has worked to promote alternatives to detention. Her recent visit followed meetings with the Department of Homeland Security’s Inspector General and ongoing oversight of the NWIPC. She is also the lead sponsor of the Dignity for Detained Immigrants Act, which seeks to eliminate for-profit detention facilities and safeguard the civil and human rights of immigrants.
