What Rights and Safety Protections Apply to Loved Ones at Eagle Pass Detention Facility (GEO policies)

GEO's Global Human Rights Policy applies broadly across the company - employees, subsidiaries, directors, contractors, suppliers, and other third parties working at facilities like Eagle Pass Detention Facility. The policy isn't just aimed at guards or one department. It sets expectations for anyone providing services at the facility, including vendors. GEO states these expectations align with principles in the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

GEO states that people in its care have inherent human rights and must be treated with dignity at all times. This includes freedom of religion and the right to worship. GEO frames these commitments as part of maintaining a safe environment - one free from unlawful physical and verbal abuse, harassment, and sexual misconduct.

GEO's policy on use of force is narrow: force is restricted to situations where it is "absolutely necessary." That's the baseline standard for how staff are supposed to approach physical force at Eagle Pass and other GEO facilities.

Firearms carry an even higher threshold. GEO says firearms are permitted only in self-defense or when there's an imminent threat of death or serious harm.

Worried about mistreatment? GEO's stated commitment is direct: a safe environment free from unlawful physical and verbal abuse, harassment, and sexual misconduct. Families often want to know whether "harassment" and "verbal abuse" count - not just physical violence. GEO's policy explicitly includes both.

GEO describes a quality control program with strict audits and adherence to established detention standards. Its policy materials reference American Correctional Association (ACA) accreditation, Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) compliance and certification, and DHS Performance-Based National Detention Standards for Immigration Processing Centers. The takeaway: GEO points to outside benchmarks and audit processes as part of how it measures and enforces safety expectations.

Training is part of how GEO tries to prevent problems before they happen. All GEO field staff receive a minimum of 40 hours of training per year, which includes the Global Human Rights Policy and the Code of Business Conduct and Ethics.

At the corporate level, GEO's Board of Directors and its Human Rights Committee oversee implementation of the Global Human Rights Policy, reviewing it annually. Operationally, GEO points to a quality control program with strict audits and adherence to standards like ACA accreditation, PREA compliance and certification, and DHS Performance-Based National Detention Standards for Immigration Processing Centers.

How Families Use

• ✓ Ask your loved one (when you can) what grievance options were explained during admission, since GEO says both formal and informal grievance procedures are communicated at intake.
• ✓ If they can use them, ask whether the facility has secure grievance “drop boxes,” which GEO lists as one way concerns can be reported.
• ✓ Encourage them to raise concerns through informal discussions with facility leadership when that feels safe and appropriate, since GEO includes that as an option.
• ✓ If you need a way to report a potential policy violation outside the facility’s internal channels, GEO describes a confidential, anonymous, third‑party‑managed toll‑free hotline that is available 24/7 and in multiple languages.

1. Start with the available reporting channel - GEO says people in its care can use formal or informal grievance procedures, including secure drop boxes or informal discussions with facility leadership.
2. Escalate to a formal complaint when needed - GEO states that if a formal complaint is made, it is promptly investigated.
3. Ask what happens after an investigation - GEO says substantiated matters can be reported to appropriate governance (such as the Audit and Finance Committee) or to regional leadership for corrective or disciplinary action.