WA Rep. Emily Randall visits Tacoma ICE facility, expresses concern about 'medical access'

WA representative expresses concern over 'medical access' at Tacoma ICE facility

Rep. Emily Randall says conditions inside the Northwest ICE Detention Center in Tacoma remain concerning after her latest visit.

TACOMA, Wash. - Congressional Representative Emily Randall (WA-D6) is providing an update on the conditions inside the Northwest ICE Detention Center in Tacoma. 

The visit also comes on the heels of a letter sent by Randall and the Washington delegation to the acting ICE Director demanding answers on facility conditions. 

Randall said she got to tour some areas of the facility she hadn't seen before on previous visits, including a mens housing area. She spoke to FOX 13 after her tour and said her biggest concern right now is medical access. 

"Morale is definitely not high," said Rep. Emily Randall, District 6.

Rep. Emily Randall

After her sixth visit to the Northwest ICE Detention Center Monday, Randall said she talked to detainees inside, some who had been there as long as 17 months.

"The areas that we saw this time were the disciplinary and administrative segregation housing units," said Randall.

She says one of her biggest concerns is over the detainees' access to medical care.

"Individuals who are being sent out to community care, to hospitals, to providers in the district, GI, etc., they are not able to access health care privately. ICE or a GEO staffer is in the room with them at every appointment," said Randall.

Northwest ICE Detention Center

Not only are some detainees saying they don't have privacy during visits, but some have said they are struggling to get the medication or accommodations they need, including an 18-year-old who Randall talked about following her visit Monday.

"Has had ovarian problems and was sent out for an ultrasound in November and hasn’t gotten the results yet, and is being prescribed ibuprofen," said Randall.

Representative Randall also talked about a detainee who's first language is Mandarin. She said he has a vision impairment and has struggled to access accommodations for his primary language and medical needs. 

She said detainee Greggy Sorio, a green card holder from the Philippines, also suffered medical complications due to what she called a denial of medical care and had to have a toe amputated as a result. 

"There are patients who are just getting ibuprofen for whatever it is that ails them," said Randall.

Randall said what was also notable is the increase in the length of the average stay at the facility from 2024-2025.

"Folks are not being conditionally released as frequently as they were before if they have pending cases. They are not being released to the community. They are being held here," said Randall. 

"There are folks I’ve spoken to in this facility who have never committed crimes here in the United States, who are here because they were here without papers, because they didn’t come the right way, because they were born on the other side of the border and are coming here for opportunity," said Randall.  

We reached out to ICE and DHS about Representative Randall's comments and are waiting to hear back.

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