Trump Team Backs Private Prison Bid for Retry on Wage Verdict

March 21, 2025, 12:40 PM UTC

A voluntary work program for immigrant detainees could end if Washington state minimum wage law is applied to a private prison operator, the Department of Justice said in a court filing.

The Trump administration is urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to grant a rehearing of a $23.2 million verdict against Geo Group Inc. for violating the state’s minimum wage law.

A split three-judge panel upheld the jury verdict in January, finding the minimum wage law applies to all employers in Washington state, even federal contractors. GEO Group requested a rehearing last month.

A likely result ...

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