# ICE Awards GEO Tacoma Detention Contract

ICE awarded GEO Group a 10-year contract to continue operating the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington, following an August 2026 RFP. The contract was finalized in October 2026 and is reported at approximately $1.5 billion. On November 10, Senator Patty Murray asked DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to explain the contract’s funding, term, oversight, medical-care resources, attorney access provisions, and treatment of state and local laws; DHS was asked to respond by November 20, 2026. The inquiry raises questions relevant to the contract’s oversight and operating requirements, but does not itself change them. No new open solicitation or procurement contact is identified.

- Detention-facility operators and related service providers should assess how the issues raised—particularly oversight, medical care, and attorney access—relate to their current contract obligations and operations.
- DHS’s requested response is due **November 20, 2026 (8 days away)** and may clarify the department’s position on funding, oversight, and contract terms.
- Draft terms for additional detention capacity are also reported, indicating possible future procurement activity; the Tacoma contract and draft terms should be treated as separate items, and no open solicitation is identified in these signals.

**Jurisdictions:** federal
**Industries:** Public Safety
**Topics:** Regulatory Compliance
**Published:** November 11, 2026

### Government Entities
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
- U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
- U.S. Senate

### Vendors
- GEO Group (Awardee and operator of the Northwest ICE Processing Center)

### Key Quotes
> ICE’s effort to rapidly cement the detention center operator contract for another 10 years appears to be an attempt to avoid the necessary public scrutiny that would otherwise accompany the establishment of new detention facilities and operation of these facilities.
> — Patty Murray, U.S. Senator

### Sources
- [Murray Presses Secretary Mullin on GEO Group’s Contract Extension at the ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Warns Obstruction Won’t Stand - Senator Patty Murray](https://www.murray.senate.gov/murray-presses-secretary-mullin-on-geo-groups-contract-extension-at-the-ice-processing-center-in-tacoma-warns-obstruction-wont-stand/) - Murray Senate
- [Patty Murray Probes Tacoma ICE Detention Center Contract](https://hoodline.com/2026/11/murray-launches-probe-into-tacoma-ice-center-s-new-1-5b-deal) - Hoodline