The detainees involved in the case, represented by a number of legal groups, have challenged GEO’s position, arguing that the work done in the program should be compensated fairly, in accordance with state labor laws. Meanwhile, the state of Washington’s legal team argues that the minimum wage law should apply to detainees working in private facilities within the state.
GEO is represented by Michael Kirk of Cooper & Kirk PLLC, while the detainees are represented by multiple law firms, including Gupta Wessler LLP and Schroeter Goldmark & Bender. The case, titled Ugochukwu Nwauzor et al. v. The GEO Group Inc., is under review in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, with the outcome potentially influencing the treatment of immigrant detainees in similar programs nationwide.
The legal battle over detainee wages is ongoing, and a decision from the Ninth Circuit could set an important precedent regarding the balance of state and federal powers in the context of immigration detention and labor laws.
