GEO’s immunity bid in detainee forced labor case unanimously blocked by Supreme Court
The US Supreme Court has rejected GEO Group’s attempt to shield itself from a lawsuit alleging immigration detainees were forced to work for as little as $1 a day in Colorado. The ruling allows the long-running case to move forward. This decision removes a major legal roadblock and keeps pressure on one of the country’s largest private prison companies.
Supreme Court rejects GEO’s immunity argument
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court ruled against GEO Group in a procedural dispute tied to its ICE detention facility in Aurora, Colorado.
The company asked the Court to let it immediately appeal a lower court decision. GEO argued it should not face the lawsuit at all because it operates the facility under a federal contract. It claimed that status gives it immunity from suit.
A district court judge rejected that argument. The US 10th Circuit Court of Appeals also refused to review the immunity claim before trial. GEO then asked the Supreme Court to intervene. The justices declined.
As a result, the case will proceed in the lower courts.
The lawsuit, first filed in 2014, alleges that detainees had to perform unpaid janitorial work and other tasks. Plaintiffs say GEO paid as little as $1 a day for additional jobs, which detainees relied on to supplement meager meals.