Geo Group Settles Forced Labor Suit Hours Before Denver Trial
A private prison operator agreed to resolve a 14-year case with former detainees just before proceedings were to start in federal court.
By Sakura Novak ·
Geo Group, the private operator of the Aurora immigrant detention center, settled a forced labor lawsuit with former detainees on Monday. The agreement was finalized just before a trial was scheduled to begin in federal court in Denver that same day.
The legal battle began 14 years ago when former detainees challenged Geo Group's detainee labor program. The company has managed the facility for roughly four decades. It is based in Florida and projects $3 billion in revenue for the current year.
The lawsuit claimed the facility required six randomly selected detainees from each housing unit to clean their area. Detainees who did not comply faced solitary confinement. The suit also alleged the company profited from a voluntary work program. Under that program, detainees earned $1 a day for performing various jobs within the facility.
Court filings on Monday did not disclose the specific terms of the settlement. Hans Meyer, an attorney for the former detainees, declined to discuss the financial details. His firm issued a statement noting that the clients suffered inhumane treatment while locked up just miles from the courthouse.
The legal team described the clients as victims of a broken immigration system. They stated that the settlement demonstrates the legal system can provide justice to marginalized groups despite long odds. Geo Group did not immediately return a message seeking comment on the resolution.
The settlement concludes the litigation before the trial commenced. The parties have reached an agreement that ends the dispute over the labor practices used at the Aurora facility.
