ICE rewrites detention rules shielding private facilities from forced labor lawsuits
Jun 28, 2026

ICE has revised its National Detention Standards at the request of GEO Group, eliminating the $1-a-day pay requirement for immigrants in private detention facilities. GEO Group faces class action lawsuits in three states alleging forced labor, health violations, and staff misconduct. The new standards reduce facility liability, prevent detainees from being classified as employees, and eliminate human interpreter requirements. At least 50 people have died in ICE detention since Trump's second term began.
Sources
- An ICE Contractor Is Worth Billions. It’s Still Fighting to Pay Detainees as Little as $1 a Day to Work.
ProPublica·Mar 19, 2025·archived copy
- ICE rewrote its rules to shield multi-billion dollar corporations from forced labor lawsuits
freedomunited.org·archived copy
dailykos.com·Jun 28, 2026·archived copy
- Multi-billion dollar corporations shielded from forced labor lawsuits due to ICE rewriting the rules - Human Trafficking Search
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