"After being sued for violating state-level human trafficking laws, the nation's largest private prison company is pushing the U.S. Supreme Court to grant private government contractors like itself blanket immunity from such lawsuits and many others. This case - and another involving a military contractor - could deliver sweeping immunity to federal contractors, if they get the ruling they want from the high court, allowing them to operate with even greater impunity than they already do."
"The two cases have drawn little attention amid a slate of enormously consequential legal battles currently before the Supreme Court. But they offer a window into a decades-long fight by government contractors to avoid public accountability in court, a battle that has ramped up as the federal government has outsourced ever more of its operations to powerful private firms. Leading the charge are for-profit vendors that work with the Department of Homeland Security on immigration enforcement."
Private government contractors are pursuing broad legal immunity, with the GEO Group urging the U.S. Supreme Court to shield contractors from state and private lawsuits. Two pending cases—one involving a private prison company and another a military contractor—could significantly expand contractor immunity and limit legal accountability. The effort reflects a decades-long push by contractors to avoid public scrutiny as the federal government increasingly outsources operations to powerful private firms. For-profit vendors tied to immigration enforcement, including private prison and security companies, have histories of alleged abuse and often resist public oversight, making private lawsuits a crucial avenue for accountability. GEO previously faced a Colorado suit alleging forced unpaid labor of immigrants in its custody while operating under ICE contracts.
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