Supreme Court Won’t Halt Former Detainee’s Lawsuit Against Private Prison Contractor

The justices said the extent to which the work policies were authorized by ICE was an issue that should be dealt with at trial.

The Supreme Court in Washington on Feb. 21, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Feb. 25 that a private prison contractor will have to face a civil trial in a lawsuit alleging that immigration detainees were illegally made to work for $1 a day.

The GEO Group was sued by a former detainee who claimed the company’s inmate work policies violated federal and Colorado law.