Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate's Healthcare Staffing Company Settles Immigrant Nurse Trafficking Lawsuit for $3M

NewsData.io · United States · Aug 20, 2026

Rick Jackson, GOP nominee for Georgia governor and founder of Jackson Healthcare, settled a class action lawsuit against his subsidiary Avant Healthcare Professionals for $3 million after over 5,000 current and former immigrant nurses alleged the company used coercive contracts, threatened ICE contact, and imposed five-figure exit fees in violation of trafficking and labor laws. Avant, which recruits foreign nurses on EB-3 visas for U.S. hospitals, denied wrongdoing and cited litigation costs as the reason for settling. The case highlights broader industry scrutiny of 'stay-or-pay' contract models used in healthcare staffing, with at least 10 similar class actions filed nationwide and states like California and New York moving to ban such agreements. For staffing firms in healthcare and international recruitment, the settlement signals heightened legal and reputational risk around foreign worker contracts and immigration compliance practices.