Rep. Tomiko Santos (D-Seattle) is pushing a new tax aimed squarely at private immigration detention in Washington, introducing House Bill 2713 to add a one-percent surcharge on business income from operating private detention facilities. The measure is tailored to hit operators with more than $1 million in in-state gross receipts, zeroing in on the GEO-run Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma.
What the bill would do
According to the bill text, beginning July 1, 2026 the surcharge would apply to taxable income attributable to the operation of a private detention facility if the operator has annual Washington gross receipts in excess of $1,000,000. The Washington State Legislature lists Santos as the lead sponsor and shows HB 2713 in the House Finance Committee after a public hearing on Feb. 20.
Targets and timing
Santos has cast the bill as a direct response to companies that profit from immigration detention, calling them “for-profit organizations that are profiting on human suffering,” as reported by The Journal of the San Juan Islands. The bill did not get an early committee hearing and was scheduled late in the legislative session. Reporting also notes the Department of Revenue told bill briefers it cannot disclose estimated impacts for measures that would affect fewer than three taxpayers without those taxpayers’ permission. Because of its fiscal angle, sponsors say HB 2713 could still be taken up if lawmakers deem it “necessary to implement the budget.”
GEO's record in Washington
The Northwest ICE Processing Center is run by Florida-based GEO Group Inc., a private prison company that has already been in Washington’s legal crosshairs over its use of detainee labor. The state Attorney General sued GEO in 2017, and a 2021 trial found the company liable for paying detained workers as little as $1 per day. A judge ordered restitution and damages, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed key rulings in January 2025, according to the Attorney General's office.
Why supporters say it matters
Santos and her allies argue the surcharge would ensure companies profiting from detention are contributing more to the communities where they operate. They say the revenue could support services for families affected by immigration enforcement actions. Those goals were laid out when the bill was introduced on the House Democrats site.
Next steps at the Capitol
For now, HB 2713 remains parked in the House Finance Committee and is listed on the Legislature’s bill page as awaiting executive session. If the committee moves it forward, the proposal could be folded into broader budget negotiations or advanced on its own. Supporters and opponents alike will have more chances to testify and lobby lawmakers before the supplemental budget window closes.
Broader policy context
The fight over HB 2713 is unfolding alongside wider state action on private detention oversight. The Washington Department of Health is in the middle of rulemaking to set health and safety standards for private detention facilities under recent laws. In that landscape, HB 2713 would add a financial lever to a policy debate that already features courtroom battles, agency rules and a steady drumbeat of local activism.
