RIVERSIDE, Calif., Dec. 2, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. District
Court for the Central District of California has certified four classes of
detained immigrants who allege claims of forced labor and wage
theft against The GEO Group (NYSE: GEO), one of the country's
largest for-profit prison companies.
One class alleges that GEO violates the California Minimum Wage
Law by paying detainee workers at the Adelanto ICE Processing
Center only $1 per day for their
labor; two classes allege that the company violates federal and
California forced labor statutes
by compelling detained immigrants to work at Adelanto; and a fourth class seeks to stop
GEO's forced labor practices at 12 of its civil immigration
detention facilities nationwide.
"Class certification is perhaps the only way thousands of
current and former detainees can assert their rights against GEO,"
said Daniel Charest, managing
partner of Burns Charest LLP, which with co-counsel represents the
individual plaintiffs and the four classes. "This decision marks a
crucial step toward achieving justice for these vulnerable people
by holding GEO accountable for its practices."
In granting class certification, the district court found that
plaintiffs provided sufficient evidence that GEO operates several
uniform policies or practices aimed at obtaining free or nearly
free detainee labor. Some detained immigrants work for $1 per day or for extra food. Under GEO's Housing
Unit Sanitation Policies, the company requires all detained
immigrants to work for free or face steep sanctions, including
interference with their immigration cases, solitary confinement, or
punitive housing reassignments.
"GEO's business model is built on the systemic coercion of
detained immigrants because the facilities could not operate
without virtually free labor," said Lydia
Wright of Burns Charest. "The plaintiffs look forward to
proving their case at trial and ending GEO's longstanding practice
of exploiting detainee labor while pocketing taxpayer dollars."
The classes are represented by Burns Charest, along with
co-counsel R. Andrew Free and Ahdoot
and Wolfson, PC. The case is Novoa, et al. v. The GEO Group,
Inc., Case No. 5:17-cv-02514 (C.D. Cal.). Trial is currently
set for June 2020.
Burns Charest represents clients in large, complex class
actions; antitrust cases; oil and gas royalty disputes;
environmental pollution cases; mass torts; and asbestos exposure
claims. The firm has offices in Dallas, New
Orleans and Denver. To
learn more, visit http://www.burnscharest.com.
Media Contact:
Barry Pound
800-559-4534
barry@androvett.com
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content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/federal-court-certifies-classes-in-immigrant-detainees-forced-labor-and-wage-theft-case-against-the-geo-group-300967715.html
SOURCE Burns Charest LLP