The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday appeared skeptical of a private prison contractor’s bid to immediately appeal a lower court’s ruling in a long-running dispute over $1-a-day wages paid to immigrant detainees at a federal detention center.

Why It Matters

During oral arguments in GEO Group, Inc. v. Menocal , the justices examined whether the company, which operates detention centers for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ( ICE ), is entitled to an early appeal under the collateral-order doctrine.

The case stems from allegations that GEO required detainees at its Aurora, Colorado facility to perform cleaning and other tasks for as little as $1 per day under a voluntary work program.

The question before the Court is not whether the work program violated labor laws, but whet

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