SHUTDOWN THE NORTHWEST DETENTION CENTER

Despite the public health emergency, immigrants detained were not released on humanitarian grounds and transfers and deportations continued. The NWDC holds around 300 immigrants in inhumane conditions, many of them considered at risk of dying if infected. GRA with La Resistencia and Seattle University International Human Rights Clinic conducted 90 interviews to document the current situation. We were granted international protection by the Inter-American Commission and the United Nations

With a bed capacity for 1.600 the so called "processing center", run by a corporation GEO has been assessed by the United Nations and the Inter-American Commission. GRA documents detention conditions through direct interviews and tours, and brings cases of prolonged detention to the United Nations and to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights

Fernando Aguirre Urbina spent almost 7 years in civil detention in Tacoma, waiting for his immigration case to resolve. In 2019 he was released on bond after strong efforts from La Resistencia and a team of lawyers thinking outside the box. GRA obtained an Opinion from the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and supports efforts to help Fernando thrive after detention. The USA Today chose his case for the investigation on detention conditions around the nation