Posted by Jason Hagey at 11:26 a.m. Tuesday
The Geo Group Inc., operator of the federal immigration lockup on the Tacoma Tideflats, has gone to court to block the City of Tacoma from releasing building plans and other public records to a civil rights activist.
Releasing the approximately 11 volumes of information would pose a security risk to the Northwest Detention Center, attorney Joan Mell argued in a lawsuit filed March 4 in Pierce County Superior Court.
The company is asking a judge to block the release, citing security and trade secret grounds.
“Access to the information increases the likelihood of escape attempts and makes power and phone lines vulnerable,” Mell argued.
Florida-based Geo Group owns and operates the Northwest Detention Center. It has a contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency.
The company is expanding the facility from 1,000 to 1,500 beds and submitted detailed building records to the City of Tacoma, according to the lawsuit.
Tim Smith, an activist with the Bill of Rights Defense Committee-Tacoma, requested the records last month. On Feb. 25, city officials informed the Geo Group that the requested materials had been compiled and would be turned over to Smith on March 2.
A hearing is scheduled for June 26.
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