US Supreme Court denies GEO Group quick appeal in immigrant detainee labor case

The issue is technical but significant for federal contractors. The government is generally immune from legal liability arising from its performance of typical governmental functions, and that can extend to contractors in some situations. Wednesday's ruling means contractors who are denied immunity at the trial court level must wait longer for appeals courts to weigh in, prolonging cases. The lawsuit filed in 2014 in Colorado federal court accuses GEO of engaging in labor trafficking by threatening detainees awaiting civil deportation proceedings at an Aurora, Colorado, facility with solitary confinement if they refused to participate in a work program.