CALIFORNIA — The GEO Group reached a settlement with the state of California regarding workplace safety laws at its immigrant detention facilities, agreeing to pay more than $100,000 in fines. The settlement, effective July 8, 2026, establishes that detainees who perform voluntary work in immigration detention facilities are considered employees under state law for the purpose of workplace safety protections.

The agreement affirms that California's workplace safety and health requirements apply to private immigrant detention facilities. As part of the settlement, The GEO Group withdrew its legal challenges against the state and agreed to draft plans for avoiding aerosol transmissions at 12 secure and reentry facilities in California. The settlement specifies that The GEO Group must ensure detainees receive the necessary tools, equipment, and personal protective equipment to perform tasks safely and effectively.

In 2023, the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued $104,510 in fines against The GEO Group after finding six violations of state code. Detainees at facilities had complained about a lack of protective equipment and proper training while cleaning for $1 per day. These complaints included allegations of wiping black mold, seeing black dust from air vents, and using cleaning solutions without instructions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The largest fine levied against The GEO Group in 2023 was for its failure to establish and maintain effective written procedures to reduce employee risk of exposure to aerosol-transmissible diseases. The GEO Group appealed these 2023 fines, arguing that detainees in the voluntary work program are not employees. However, the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board rejected the company's argument, finding in 2025 that detainees should be considered affected employees.

Following the appeals board ruling, The GEO Group sued the state. The settlement was reached three days before a scheduled California Superior Court hearing in May.

"Every worker deserves a safe and healthy workplace and should be able to report workplace hazards without fear of retaliation," said Denisse Gómez, spokesperson for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health. She added, "Individuals who perform work in these facilities are entitled to workplace safety protections, and this settlement reinforces Cal/OSHA's commitment to enforcing those protections and safeguarding vulnerable workers."

Attorney Mariel Villarreal, who works for the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, suggested a connection between the settlement and new detention standards. "To me, it's a reaction to this very settlement," Villarreal said regarding the timing of the new standards. The California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice had filed the original complaint on behalf of detainees who reported working in unsafe conditions. "These statements in the new standards are a way for them to try and preserve profits as much as possible," Villarreal said.