Immigrant rights advocates say a private company that runs a Georgia immigration detention center forces detainees to do manual labor for very little money in a scheme to maximize profits.
Immigrant rights groups filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against CoreCivic Inc., which has a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to run the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia. It was filed on behalf of two current detainees and one former detainee.
CoreCivic spokesman Jonathan Burns says the company doesn't comment on pending litigation but said all work programs at immigration detention centers are completely voluntary and comply with ICE standards.
The lawsuit says detainees who refuse to work are threatened with solitary confinement and can lose access to basic necessities. Similar lawsuits have been filed in other states.
