Transcript:
The Northwest ICE Processing Center here in Tacoma has a long standing history of safety issues and limited oversight.
The private company running the detention center and the Department of Homeland Security have a new short term contract.
Last time we told you about how the contract weakened state oversight.
Now, multimedia journalist Jaelynn Grisso shares other implications of the contract, including how taxpayers will be on the hook for lawsuits against the facility.
The University of Washington Center for Human Rights has spent the last decade documenting issues at the facility, which has been at the center of several lawsuits.
That often includes GEO Group, the private company that operates the facility as the defendant.
Under a new temporary contract the federal government will foot the bill for any lawsuits against Geo Group.
This is something Geo has long sought, but in the past, it's the federal government has denied them that.
So that suggests that the federal taxpayer will be on the hook for Geo's any litigation brought against Geo.
That means taxpayers could find themselves footing the bill for both sides of a court case.
In addition to covering the company's legal defense costs, the new contract also changes a few other key elements.
It increased the capacity for the facility beyond the local zoning capacity.
Godoy and other advocates point to the increased population as a major factor in worsening conditions.
It also created more relaxed requirements around how quickly ICE must provide medical care.
Geo Group and ICE did not return requests for comment for this story.