Transgender Woman Detained in Male Unit at ICE Processing Center
May 22, 2026·Location: Tacoma, WA
Country of origin: Nicaragua
Jessica Crystal Lira, a 22-year-old transgender woman and Nicaraguan citizen, was re-detained by ICE on May 22, 2026 during a scheduled check-in and transferred to the Northwest ICE Processing Center (NWIPC) in Tacoma, Washington. Despite identifying as a woman, she was housed in a male detention unit, where she experienced verbal harassment and feared for her safety. She filed suit, captioned Lira v. Mullin, seeking emergency relief. The court granted her motion for a temporary restraining order, enjoining officials from housing her in a male detention unit or solitary confinement, and ordered that she either be moved to appropriate housing or released within 24 hours.
Sources
More incidents in Washington
- Masked ICE agents pull landscaper from work truck in Everett, witness films arrestOct 2, 2026 · Everett, WA
- Man chased down and arrested on I-5 freeway in possible ICE operationOct 1, 2026 · Des Moines, WA
- ICE removes detainees with final removal orders from public locator system, families lose trackSep 30, 2026 · Washington, DC
- Supreme Court Allows Third-Country Deportations to Continue Pending December ArgumentsSep 29, 2026 · Washington, DC
- Supreme Court lets Trump resume deporting migrants to third countriesSep 29, 2026 · Washington, DC
- Father detained by ICE on way to work, leaving pregnant partner and childrenSep 27, 2026 · Seattle, WA