Judge Blocks State Oversight
State’s Inspection Powers Curtailed
According to The Bellingham Herald a big legal decision just happened, a judge said no to some parts of a Private Immigration law in Washington state. This Private Immigration law wanted to make sure that a private immigration jail in Tacoma followed rules better. But the judge said the jail’s owner GEO Group can’t be inspected without warning. The judge thinks that Private Immigration law breaks a rule that says states can’t control federal stuff directly. So now the state can’t make sure the jail meets certain standards or check it whenever they want.
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(PHOTO:
The Seattle Times)Judge Halts Washington State’s, Effort to Improve Private Immigration Law on Jail Conditions Sparking Debate on Federal-State Powers
Federal Judge’s Ruling Sparks Debate
The Private Immigration law called HB 1470 was made last year to make things tougher for private jails. It wanted them to have surprise inspections keep things clean and not use solitary confinement much. But the judge said the Private Immigration law goes against the federal government’s power and deals GEO Group a bad hand. This shows a fight between what states and the federal government can do when it comes to immigration jails and it makes us think about how people in these jails are treated. This ruling is a setback for the state’s plan to make sure jails follow rules. It’s also a puzzle about who gets to say what goes on in these jails states or the federal government. Because the judge sided with GEO Group which said following the Private Immigration law would cost a lot of money it’s not clear what will happen next. People who want to make sure detainees are treated well and state leaders might have to find different ways to make sure things are okay in these jails.
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