Settlement Marks Step Toward Ending Abuses at For-Profit Immigrant Prisons
Southern Poverty Law Center, November 9, 2023: Settlement Marks Step Toward Ending Abuses at For-Profit Immigrant Prisons
“In 2018, Barrientos was one of several people detained at Stewart who filed suit against CoreCivic, the for-profit company operating the facility under a federal contract. The federal lawsuit was filed by the Southern Poverty Law Center and Project South. The two organizations were later joined by pro bono counsel from the law firm Perkins Coie LLP. The complaint describes violations of anti-trafficking laws that unjustly enriched CoreCivic.
“After five years of litigation, a settlement was reached last month as the trial was set to begin.
“As part of the agreement, CoreCivic will be required to notify all detained immigrants participating in the work program at Stewart of their rights, including their right to refuse to work. The document provided to detained workers, written in both Spanish and English, will state that they can’t be forced to work and have the right to prompt monetary compensation, relevant training, necessary safety equipment and respect from staff.
“‘The declaration of rights is a call to action to those in immigration jails to keep fighting for justice, and it makes clear that they should not face the abuses that I suffered at Stewart,’ Barrientos said.
“If the terms of the settlement are not met, the plaintiffs can bring the case back to court to have it enforced.
“‘We will be there monitoring compliance,’ said Efrén Olivares, the interim director of strategic litigation for the SPLC. ‘They have undertaken the obligation of providing a worker bill of rights. As a result of this settlement, every person detained who is considering participating in this program will know their rights.’”
Additional reading:
NPR, November 8, 2023: ICE releases investigation into immigrant's death after months of ‘inexcusable’ delay
New Jersey Monitory, July 19, 2023: Biden administration says closure of ICE detention center in N.J. would be ‘catastrophic’
Tennessee Lookout, May 21, 2023: State set to extend CoreCivic contract despite prison deaths
