Ahn v. The GEO Group, et al.
E. D. Ca. No. 1:22-cv-00586
On the second anniversary of the passing of Mr. Choung Woong Ahn, his family and legal team filed a lawsuit in federal court to seek justice and accountability for his torture and wrongful death at an immigration detention center. Mr. Ahn was a 74-year-old South Korean immigrant who died in custody at the Mesa Verde ICE Processing Center on May 17, 2020, a facility owned and operated by The GEO Group, Inc. Mr. Ahn’s family, represented by Rights Behind Bars, the California Collaborative for Immigrant Justice, and Centro Legal de la Raza, have named Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the GEO Group, and the City of McFarland, California as defendants in the lawsuit.
Though it was well-documented that Mr. Ahn suffered from serious physical and mental health conditions, ICE and GEO Group chose to place Mr. Ahn in solitary confinement. A complaint filed with the Department of Homeland Security Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties has gone unanswered. Meanwhile, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has taken no action to hold this private prison operator accountable.
The impacts of detention, including death while in custody, cause irreparable harm to families and communities. Mr. Ahn’s family requests continued privacy.