Despite the U.S. federal immigration agency ICE recently signing a new contract with the private prison corporation GEO Group to operate the detention center in Tacoma, the number of immigrants housed there has dropped sharply. While the center was overcrowded last year, it now holds about 919 people, even though its capacity was increased under the new agreement. The detention center is located in Tacoma, roughly 50 km south of Seattle, which allows federal authorities to distance these operations from the region’s more liberal center, where local officials often resist ICE policy.
The decline matches a nationwide trend: data show arrests and deportations across the country, and in Washington state, have fallen significantly in recent months. For example, ICE arrests in Washington have more than halved since December.
Experts and civil-rights advocates suggest the administration may be temporarily softening immigration enforcement after a wave of public criticism. Recent incidents, such as the deaths of two U.S. citizens during ICE custody in Minneapolis, have drawn widespread attention.
Deborah Fleischaker, a former senior ICE official, believes authorities are trying to "lower the heat" ahead of the upcoming midterm Congressional elections. The political climate is making them more cautious in their actions.
Another factor may have been the temporary suspension of funding at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) initiated by Democratic members of Congress. While this did not halt law-enforcement operations, it may have slowed the processing of detainees’ paperwork by other agency staff.
Activists, such as Kathleen Carson of Seattle Indivisible, warn that the current lull is likely temporary. Seattle Indivisible is the local chapter of a national progressive movement known for mobilizing the public and supporting immigrant communities. They do not rule out ICE activity returning to full force after the elections or as soon as summer, when Seattle will host a major baseball event — the 2023 Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star Game. Activists fear that increased federal attention on such a large event could be accompanied by stepped-up immigration raids.
Despite the drop in arrests, local immigration lawyers remain overwhelmed. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project has filed hundreds of habeas corpus petitions in federal court since September, challenging the legality of detentions in Tacoma.
Many of these suits concern immigrants who were denied bond hearings. Although a Tacoma judge ruled such a practice unlawful, immigration judges aligned with the administration often continue it unless an individual petition is filed.
Ultimately, the decline in the center’s population means more people are leaving than entering. However, while deportations from Washington in February (255) are lower than a few months earlier, they still far exceed levels from the start of the Biden administration. Activists note that whereas there used to be one deportation flight per week from Boeing Field, there are now several. This airport, controlled by King County, is used by ICE for deportation operations because it is less busy and allows them to operate with less public scrutiny compared with the larger Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
Based on: Despite new contract, WA ICE detention center population shrinks