this post was submitted on 25 Feb 2026
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On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against private prison company Geo Group, denying them a fast-track appeal of a lower court ruling that found they are not immune from being sued.

The initial lawsuit was brought about in 2014 by Alejandro Menocal and other former detainees at the Aurora Immigration Processing Center in Colorado. They filed a class action lawsuit against GEO Group claiming they were forced to clean common areas and were punished with solitary confinement if they said no. Detainees claimed that they worked at the detention center for either $1 a day or no pay at all.

Geo Group, the second-largest contractor for President Trump’s mass detention campaign, didn’t think it should even be able to be sued in the first place.

The prison company argued that it deserved “derivative sovereign immunity,” something usually reserved for the government, because it works with and for the U.S. government. It also claimed that it should have the right to immediate appeals rather than after-trial appeals, which would have allowed it to ignore unfavorable rulings.

Now, thanks to the unanimous Supreme Court ruling, the forced-labor lawsuit brought by the immigrant detainees at Geo Group can move forward.

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[–] Asafum@lemmy.world 37 points 2 hours ago

Scum... "We deserve all the benefits of a private company, but we also deserve all the protections of a government entity."

Fuck you GEO group...

[–] rogsson@piefed.social 40 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Government shouldn’t be immune either. They are the people and work for the people. In a sane world. Present did a shitty job? Electric chair. No fucking immunity anywhere.

[–] Stamau123@lemmy.world 10 points 2 hours ago (2 children)

Colorado already has limited qualified immunity

Under Colorado Senate Bill 20-217, qualified immunity is not a defense to the civil action, and officers may be liable for up to $25,000 for knowingly unlawful actions. If the peace officer's employer determines the officer did not act upon a good faith and reasonable belief that the action was lawful, then the peace officer is personally liable for 5 percent of the judgment (up to $25,000). A public entity does not have to indemnify a peace officer if the peace officer was convicted of a criminal violation for the conduct from which the claim arises.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 6 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago) (1 children)

The Federal Government made QI illegal in 1881. Some unnamed secretary illegally changed the wording of the law in 1884 and it wasn't noticed until recently.

http://web.archive.org/web/20230520080201/https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/15/us/politics/qualified-immunity-supreme-court.html

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 3 points 1 hour ago (1 children)

Wait, what?! Have there been rulings on this since then? This seems huge.

Although, from the article it doesn't sound like it would have relevance to federal immunity.

[–] AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world 1 points 6 minutes ago* (last edited 4 minutes ago)

You seem to be correct. It's been a couple years, and I forgot it only applies to state level immunities. As far as I can tell SCOTUS would have to overturn Harlow v Fitzgerald.

[–] village604@adultswim.fan 4 points 1 hour ago* (last edited 1 hour ago)

That's a protection against suing specific people, not against suing the government.

You can sue the police department, but if there's qualified immunity you can't sue the cop.

Sovereign Immunity means that the federal government has to give you permission before you can sue them.

[–] MintyFresh@lemmy.world 7 points 1 hour ago (3 children)

How the fuck are for profit prisons a thing!?!? How the fuck does someone own and operate one of these things and sleep at night?

[–] defaultusername@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 34 minutes ago* (last edited 33 minutes ago)

You already know the answers to both of those questions.

[–] _haha_oh_wow_@sh.itjust.works 2 points 28 minutes ago (1 children)

The secret ingredient is corruption.

[–] EchoCranium@lemmy.zip 2 points 15 minutes ago

And sociopathy.

[–] thesohoriots@lemmy.world 8 points 1 hour ago

On a pile of money, dear boy.

[–] 9tr6gyp3@lemmy.world 13 points 2 hours ago

Hey it only took 12 years!

[–] TachyonTele@piefed.social 12 points 2 hours ago

Geez, after 12 years the lawsuit can finally move forward.

"Derivative sovereign immunity" my ass. I am paid through NIH grants, does that give me sovereign immunity? No.

[–] minorkeys@lemmy.world 1 points 1 hour ago

Selfish people being selfish.