Filed Date: July 13, 2022
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding complete
On July 13, 2022, nine plaintiffs detained in one of GEO's facilities filed suit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against the GEO Group, a private prison corporation contracted by the federal government to detain immigrants. Plaintiffs filed suit to stop violations of California's labor laws, including minimum wage provisions, and forced labor in violation of state and federal laws. Plaintiffs alleged that GEO violated the California Minimum Wage Law, Unfair Competition Law, and Trafficking Victims Protection Act as well as the Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act. Plaintiffs also sought to certify a class of all individuals incarcerated and forced to labor in GEO's facilities. The case was assigned to District Judge Ana de Alba.
Plaintiffs alleged that GEO forced detained immigrants to operate its facilities for payment of $1 a day or nothing at all. Detained immigrants were forced to participate in this labor in order to pay fees imposed by GEO to access email and other messaging services and, if detained immigrants did not participate, GEO would revoke recreation, chow, law library, and telephone access.
On September 15, 2022, GEO filed a motion to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction and failure to state a claim. The hearing was set for October 31, 2022, but plaintiffs filed a motion to stay on October 3, 2022 and an amended complaint the following day. The hearing was rescheduled for November 28, 2022.
As of November, 2022 litigation was ongoing.
Summary Authors
Anna Lennon (11/2/2022)
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63593326/parties/hernandez-gomez-v-the-geo-group-inc/
Freedman, Michael Louis (California)
Galvan, Ernest (California)
Grunfeld, Gay Crosthwait (California)
Hattem, Benjamin (California)
Coleman, Susan Eileen (California)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/63593326/hernandez-gomez-v-the-geo-group-inc/
Last updated April 15, 2026, 5:29 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Key Dates
Filing Date: July 13, 2022
Case Ongoing: Yes
Plaintiffs
Plaintiff Description:
Immigrants detained in GEO's facilities and subject to forced labor.
Plaintiff Type(s):
Attorney Organizations:
Rosen, Bien, Galvan & Grunfeld
Public Interest Lawyer: Yes
Filed Pro Se: No
Class Action Sought: Yes
Class Action Outcome: Pending
Defendants
Private Entity/Person
The GEO Group
Facility Type(s):
Case Details
Causes of Action:
Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), 18 U.S.C. § 1589
Other Dockets:
Eastern District of California 1:22-cv-00868
Available Documents:
Outcome
Prevailing Party: None Yet / None
Relief Granted:
Source of Relief:
Issues
General/Misc.:
Case Summary of Gomez v. GEO Group, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/43622/ (last updated 11/2/2022).