The Denver Contract Detention Facility, also known as the Aurora ICE Processing Center,[3] is a privately run immigration detention center located in Aurora, Colorado. It is operated by the GEO Group, a private prison corporation, under contract from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Its capacity was increased from 1,360 to 1,530 in late 2025.[4] It is the only major ICE detention facility in Colorado.[4]
  Location in Colorado | |
| Location | |
|---|---|
| Status | Operational |
| Security class | Private Migrant Detention Center |
| Population | 1226[1] (FY 2026 (YTD)) |
| Opened | FY 2010[2] |
| Managed by | GEO Group |
US Congressman Jason Crow was denied entry for an inspection visit to the facility in January 2026.[4]
History
editThe Wackenhut Corrections Corporation (later renamed The GEO Group), established in 1984, received its first contract for an immigration detention facility to operate the Aurora-based facility in 1987.[5] The facility was built in 150 days.[6]
Layout
editThe facility includes one large detention "North" building and a smaller annex (subdivided into East and West), connected by a covered walkway. Male detainees are housed in both the North and Annex buildings; female and transgender detainees are in separate housing units in the Annex.[3]
Population size
editDeaths in detention and detainee treatment
editAs of 2022, there had been three deaths of detainees at the facility.[9]
In 2017, 64-year-old detainee Kamyar Samimi died after two weeks in the Aurora detention facility. Samimi had been receiving methadone treatment for two decades to manage his opioid addiction, but was denied access to the drug once detained.[10] According to a review of records by Colorado Public Radio, as Samimi underwent withdrawal, medical staff in the facility skipped multiple medical checks on him and "used a withdrawal protocol for alcohol — not opioids."[10] The American Civil Liberties Union filed a wrongful death lawsuit in September 2019 in his case.[11][12]
In 2022, 39-year-old detainee Melvin Ariel Calero Mendoza died of a pulmonary embolism while detained at the Aurora facility.[10] Records showed that Calero-Mendoza "had been complaining for weeks about pain and swelling in his leg." In a 911 call after the prisoner collapsed, a facility employee failed to share specifics on the man's medical condition, misstated the facility access and put the 911 dispatcher on hold.[10] An attorney for the family stated, "The depth of indifference that this caller displayed was shocking. The family is disappointed and horrified by this call."[10]
In March 2026, a coalition of groups, including the American Friends Service Committee, issued a report on conditions in the Aurora facility based on the testimony of 31 detainees. The report alleged neglect of physical and mental health conditions, malnutrition, extreme temperatures, physical and emotional abuse, and forced labor. The GEO Group denied the accusations.[13]
References
edit- ↑ "ICE Detention Statistics FY 2026". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2026-02-02.
- ↑ "ICE DMCP Facility List — ERO Custody Management Division, FY2017" (PDF). U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2017-07-10.
- 1 2 "Results of an Unannounced Inspection of ICE's Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado" (PDF). Department of Homeland Security. Washington, DC. 2024-06-12.
- 1 2 3 Toomer, Lindsey (January 12, 2026). "Aurora ICE facility population near capacity after recent expansion". Colorado Newsline. Retrieved 2026-03-27.
- ↑ Towle, Sarah (2025-09-30). Crossing the Line (Revised Edition): Finding America in the Borderlands. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 979-8-89636-135-0.
- ↑ "PRIVATE COMPANIES LOCK INTO PRISON BUSINESS WACKENHUT NABS CONTRACT TO BUILD, OPERATE DETENTION CENTER IN TEXAS". Sun Sentinel. 1988-12-05. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ↑ "ICE Detention Statistics FY 2019". U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2019-09-30. Additional fiscal year data: FY20, FY21, FY22, FY23, FY24, FY25, FY26.
- ↑ "ICE DMCP Facility List — ERO Custody Management Division, FY2017" (PDF). U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 2017-07-10.
- ↑ "Archived: Nicaraguan man in ICE custody passes away at Colorado hospital | ICE". 2022-10-14. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "ICE records reveal more information about 2017, 2022 deaths inside Aurora detention facility". Colorado Public Radio. 2023-08-30. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ↑ "ACLU of Colorado Sues GEO for the Wrongful Death of Kamyar Samimi". ACLU of Colorado. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ↑ "ACLU of Colorado sues prison company over death at Aurora ICE detention facility". The Denver Post. 2019-11-12. Retrieved 2026-04-01.
- ↑ Harris, Kyle (2026-03-02). "Aurora ICE detainees are malnourished and forced to work, advocates report". Denverite. Retrieved 2026-04-01.