The Supreme Court has agreed to hear an appeal from the GEO Group, a private prison company that is facing a lawsuit related to its operations at a detention center in Aurora, Colorado.
This lawsuit, dating back to 2014, alleges that immigration detainees were coerced into working for meager compensation—only $1 a day—in conditions that forced them to perform unpaid janitorial work to support their inadequate meals.
GEO Group maintains that these lawsuits are merely an attempt to undermine federal immigration policy and claims that their pay rates comply with the regulations set forth by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
They argue that the detainees lack the right to sue, as the company operates the GEO ICE detention center in Aurora on behalf of the government, which is typically immune from such claims.
However, attorneys representing the detainees assert that the lawsuit focuses solely on the unreasonably low wages for their work, arguing that the contract with GEO Group does not mandate such minimal pay.
The lawsuit was previously allowed to proceed by a lower court judge, and the U.S. 10th Circuit Court of Appeals determined that it could not review the immunity claim before the trial takes place.
The GEO Group, headquartered in Florida, is one of the leading private detention providers in the nation, managing or owning about 77,000 beds across 98 facilities.
Their contracts include operating the newly established federal immigration detention center, which recently became a focal point of protests led by Newark Mayor Ras Baraka.
Similar legal actions have been pursued in other regions, including a notable case in Washington state, where the GEO Group was ordered to pay over $23 million due to related claims.
Ongoing controversies have surrounded the Aurora facility, drawing protests and complaints for several years.
In December, Democratic Congressman Jason Crow from Aurora introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at limiting the government’s reliance on private prisons for immigration detention purposes.
Crow has been a vocal critic of GEO’s operations in Aurora since his election in 2018, collaborating with Florida Republican John Rutherford to push for greater transparency and oversight of immigration detention facilities.
In a statement, Crow expressed, “Throughout my time in Congress, I have worked hard to promote transparency in government, which includes making oversight visits to immigration detention facilities.”
He highlighted an incident where he was denied access for an oversight visit at a facility in his district, emphasizing the importance of such visits for ensuring government accountability and the humane treatment of detainees.
The proposed legislation, known as the 2025 POD Act, is currently pending in the House and aims to grant congressional members and their staff the ability to conduct oversight visits to immigration detention centers, ensuring compliance with federal laws.
The bill seeks to close existing gaps in congressional oversight, which have previously depended on annual appropriations measures; it would guarantee immediate access to any facility operated by or for the Department of Homeland Security, including the GEO-ICE facility in Aurora.
This access would be required within 24 hours of a request, while facilities accommodating minors under the Department of Health and Human Services would have to allow visits within two days, balancing oversight with the need for child protection, according to the bill’s sponsors.
Crow justified the necessity of the POD Act based on his personal experiences with the GEO facility in Aurora, where entry was denied for 24 days amid reports of illness outbreaks and poor living and working conditions.
He stated, “My attempt to visit an immigration detention facility in my community was denied for 24 days, underscoring the need for codified protections.
Transparency is essential to holding the government accountable and ensuring detainees are treated humanely.”
Rutherford echoed this sentiment, asserting that Congress has a responsibility to ensure proper management of these facilities.
The POD Act, both sponsors noted, enjoys backing from the ACLU and other civil rights and immigrant rights organizations.
This legislation builds upon efforts initiated by Crow since 2020, when he succeeded in advocating for initial oversight protections through the appropriations process.
Crow previously introduced a version of the bill co-sponsored by fellow Democrats, but the current iteration reflects bipartisan collaboration, with Rutherford’s support highlighting increasing momentum to establish permanent oversight protections.
This case and legislative developments come to a head against the backdrop of rising tensions surrounding immigration policies, particularly in the state of Colorado, where the GEO facility has been central to ongoing discussions about the treatment of detainees and the operations of private prisons in the immigration context.
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