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Tacoma's center of Detention

Published: Sept. 7, 2012 at 3:00 p.m. PDT — Updated: Sept. 11, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. PDT
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  • Children dressed up for a visit with family members detained in the Northwest Detention Center pass by immigration activist Ivy Williams, of Seattle, a member of the International Action Center who was joined by members of the Washington's New Sanctuary Movement, The Vashon Island Unitarian Church, The Bill of Rights Defense Committee other immigration activist at a recent protest in front of the facility. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Children dressed up for a visit with family members detained in the Northwest Detention Center pass by immigration activist Ivy Williams, of Seattle, a member of the International Action Center who was joined by members of the Washington's New Sanctuary Movement, The Vashon Island Unitarian Church, The Bill of Rights Defense Committee other immigration activist at a recent protest in front of the facility. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • With their hands and feet shackled, illegal immigrants board a GEO bus last month at the Northwest Detention Center en route to Boeing Field for a deportation flight to Mexico. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    With their hands and feet shackled, illegal immigrants board a GEO bus last month at the Northwest Detention Center en route to Boeing Field for a deportation flight to Mexico. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Undocumented detainees sleep and pass the time in one of the pods of the Northwest Detention Center’s 1,575-bed facility. Ninety percent of the cases in the Tacoma immigration court originated in local jails and prisons. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Undocumented detainees sleep and pass the time in one of the pods of the Northwest Detention Center’s 1,575-bed facility. Ninety percent of the cases in the Tacoma immigration court originated in local jails and prisons. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • The family of Wilmer Correa, who fled threats of violence from gangs in their home of Columbia in 2005, hope the words 'we the people' and the image of the American bald eagle on 3-year-old Sophia Valenzuela Correa's passport, is more than symbolic as they fight deportation. Their case is being advocated with the help of Seattle immigration attorney Elizabeth Hawkins at left. Wilmer Correa and his wife, Luz Marina Valenzuela , second from left , and daughters Alejandra, 17 and Stephany, 15, hope a recent Obama administration ruling might force the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to defer and reconsider the family's deportation, originally scheduled for July 17. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    The family of Wilmer Correa, who fled threats of violence from gangs in their home of Columbia in 2005, hope the words 'we the people' and the image of the American bald eagle on 3-year-old Sophia Valenzuela Correa's passport, is more than symbolic as they fight deportation. Their case is being advocated with the help of Seattle immigration attorney Elizabeth Hawkins at left. Wilmer Correa and his wife, Luz Marina Valenzuela , second from left , and daughters Alejandra, 17 and Stephany, 15, hope a recent Obama administration ruling might force the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to defer and reconsider the family's deportation, originally scheduled for July 17. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Undocumented immigrants, residents of the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma facing the prospect of deportation, are given access to computers and legal materials before their hearing in the facility's immigration court which handled 11,249 hearings in 2011. Government-chartered flights filled with deportees leave from Boeing Field twice a week for Mexico, the largest 'country of removal. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Undocumented immigrants, residents of the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma facing the prospect of deportation, are given access to computers and legal materials before their hearing in the facility's immigration court which handled 11,249 hearings in 2011. Government-chartered flights filled with deportees leave from Boeing Field twice a week for Mexico, the largest 'country of removal. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • A family walks past a guard station and barbed-wire fences to visit a family member being held at the Northwest Detention Center. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    A family walks past a guard station and barbed-wire fences to visit a family member being held at the Northwest Detention Center. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • A GEO guard logs in an undocumented immigrant at the Northwest Detention Center's intake area. According to ICE officials the average stay for most detainees is about 35 days, with more than 80 percent eventually deported. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    A GEO guard logs in an undocumented immigrant at the Northwest Detention Center's intake area. According to ICE officials the average stay for most detainees is about 35 days, with more than 80 percent eventually deported. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • An undocumented detainee sleeps to pass the time in one of the pods of the Northwest Detention Center's 1,575-bed facility. Ninety percent of the cases in the Tacoma immigration court originated in local jails and prisons. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    An undocumented detainee sleeps to pass the time in one of the pods of the Northwest Detention Center's 1,575-bed facility. Ninety percent of the cases in the Tacoma immigration court originated in local jails and prisons. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Undocumented detainees sleep and pass the time in one of the pods of the Northwest Detention Center's 1575-bed facility. Ninety percent of the cases in the Tacoma immigration court originated in local jails and prisons but advocates say anecdotal evidence exist that local law enforecement officers 'profile' individuals and take them to jail for offenses that most Americans would only be ticketed for. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Undocumented detainees sleep and pass the time in one of the pods of the Northwest Detention Center's 1575-bed facility. Ninety percent of the cases in the Tacoma immigration court originated in local jails and prisons but advocates say anecdotal evidence exist that local law enforecement officers 'profile' individuals and take them to jail for offenses that most Americans would only be ticketed for. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Illegal immigrants wait to board a bus on Aug. 1 at the Northwest Detention Center en route to Boeing Field for a deportation flight to Mexico. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Illegal immigrants wait to board a bus on Aug. 1 at the Northwest Detention Center en route to Boeing Field for a deportation flight to Mexico. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Fearful of being deported and having to make the choice of leaving her American-born children behind with relatives, Leticia Jimenez-Diaz, an illegal immigrant who was living in Mount Vernon, breaks down in tears during a interview at the Northwest Detention Center. Guerrero, the Mexican state she left at 19, is now consumed with violence. 'It's too hard to live there - too dangerous,' she said. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Fearful of being deported and having to make the choice of leaving her American-born children behind with relatives, Leticia Jimenez-Diaz, an illegal immigrant who was living in Mount Vernon, breaks down in tears during a interview at the Northwest Detention Center. Guerrero, the Mexican state she left at 19, is now consumed with violence. 'It's too hard to live there - too dangerous,' she said. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Medical forms for a variety of scenarios are used by GEO employees in the Northwest Detention Center's medical unit. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Medical forms for a variety of scenarios are used by GEO employees in the Northwest Detention Center's medical unit. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Photos of President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder hang in a waiting room where families of illegal immigrants wait while their family and friends attend hearings in two immigration courtrooms inside the Northwest Detention Center. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Photos of President Barack Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder hang in a waiting room where families of illegal immigrants wait while their family and friends attend hearings in two immigration courtrooms inside the Northwest Detention Center. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Tacoma civil rights activist Tim Smith stands vigil at a recent protest at the Northwest Detention Center. Smith, a retired Army intelligence officer, organizes protests at the facility with his group, The Bill of Rights Defense Committee - Tacoma, and fought GEO over the private prison contractor's 2008 expansion. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Tacoma civil rights activist Tim Smith stands vigil at a recent protest at the Northwest Detention Center. Smith, a retired Army intelligence officer, organizes protests at the facility with his group, The Bill of Rights Defense Committee - Tacoma, and fought GEO over the private prison contractor's 2008 expansion. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • The Northwest Detention Center, a privately owned and operated immigration detention center was built on the Tacoma Tideflats to replace a similar facility in Seattle. Opening in 2004 with a 500-bed capacity, the NWDC has since expanded capacity three times into a facility with 1,575 beds, making it one of the largest immigration detention centers in the U.S. Aerial photo taken in Spring of 2012. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    The Northwest Detention Center, a privately owned and operated immigration detention center was built on the Tacoma Tideflats to replace a similar facility in Seattle. Opening in 2004 with a 500-bed capacity, the NWDC has since expanded capacity three times into a facility with 1,575 beds, making it one of the largest immigration detention centers in the U.S. Aerial photo taken in Spring of 2012. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • A young boy plays near railroad tracks that front the Northwest Detention Center, a facility in Tacoma that houses undocumented detainees while their immigration cases are decided. It was built with the help of a state financing authority that garnered $204,000 in transaction fees in the deal. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    A young boy plays near railroad tracks that front the Northwest Detention Center, a facility in Tacoma that houses undocumented detainees while their immigration cases are decided. It was built with the help of a state financing authority that garnered $204,000 in transaction fees in the deal. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Former Tacoma City Councilmen Kevin Phelps played a key role in siting the Northwest Detention Center at its current location on East J Street. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Former Tacoma City Councilmen Kevin Phelps played a key role in siting the Northwest Detention Center at its current location on East J Street. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • The family of Wilmer Correa, who fled violent threats from gangs in their home of Columbia in 2005, hope a recent Obama administration order will force the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to defer the family's deportation originally scheduled to happen July 17. The fate of the family - from left, daughter Alejandra, wife Luz Marina Valenzuela, daughter Sophia, Wilmer and daughter Stephany - is still uncertain. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    The family of Wilmer Correa, who fled violent threats from gangs in their home of Columbia in 2005, hope a recent Obama administration order will force the Immigration and Customs Enforcement to defer the family's deportation originally scheduled to happen July 17. The fate of the family - from left, daughter Alejandra, wife Luz Marina Valenzuela, daughter Sophia, Wilmer and daughter Stephany - is still uncertain. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • A detainee in handcuffs is walked by GEO employees down a hallway called the 'gray mile' back to his pod. Each detainee wears a uniform that signifies his criminal history or threat: Blue if no criminal history, or only minor criminal charges; orange for midlevel offenses, such as drug-related crimes; red for those with assault charges or convictions of other violent crimes. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    A detainee in handcuffs is walked by GEO employees down a hallway called the 'gray mile' back to his pod. Each detainee wears a uniform that signifies his criminal history or threat: Blue if no criminal history, or only minor criminal charges; orange for midlevel offenses, such as drug-related crimes; red for those with assault charges or convictions of other violent crimes. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Riot gear equipped staff from the Northwest detention center make a show of force to protesters at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. (HANDOUT/Courtesy of Tim Smith)
    Riot gear equipped staff from the Northwest detention center make a show of force to protesters at the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma. (HANDOUT/Courtesy of Tim Smith)
  • Cruz Velasquez, an illegal immigrant who fled a war-torn and gang-infested El Salvador, was serving a 60-day sentence at the Pierce County Jail for a DUI conviction in the summer of 2011. Velasquez, who was also being held on a immigration detainer, feared he might be deported. 'If it happens, if I get deported, I wouldn't want my children to go. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    Cruz Velasquez, an illegal immigrant who fled a war-torn and gang-infested El Salvador, was serving a 60-day sentence at the Pierce County Jail for a DUI conviction in the summer of 2011. Velasquez, who was also being held on a immigration detainer, feared he might be deported. 'If it happens, if I get deported, I wouldn't want my children to go. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • A GEO guard at the Northwest Detention Center pats down an undocumented immigrant as he exits the law library area on his way back to his minimum-security pod. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE)
    A GEO guard at the Northwest Detention Center pats down an undocumented immigrant as he exits the law library area on his way back to his minimum-security pod. (DEAN J. KOEPFLER/THE NEWS TRIBUNE) Buy this image
  • Staff of the Northwest Detention Center take notes and record the activities of protesters in Tacoma. (HANDOUT/Courtesy of Tim Smith)
    Staff of the Northwest Detention Center take notes and record the activities of protesters in Tacoma. (HANDOUT/Courtesy of Tim Smith)

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