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Bill in Washington state would ban private immigration jail

By Gene Johnson

Washington State Capitol Building The Washington State Capitol Building in Olympia (KIRO 7)

By Gene Johnson

SEATTLE — The Washington Legislature has approved a bill aimed at shutting down one of the country’s largest for-profit, privately run immigration jails.

Led by majority Democrats, the the state Senate voted 28-21 Tuesday in favor of the measure that would ban for-profit detention centers in the state.

The measure already passed the House and now heads to Gov. Jay Inslee, who opposes for-profit detention centers.

The 1,575-bed Northwest detention center in Tacoma is operated by the GEO Group under a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and it’s the only for-profit detention facility in the state.

The bill would allow GEO to continue operating the jail until 2025.

Cox Media Group

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