Colorado Gives 1,530-Bed Aurora ICE Center Until Friday to Allow TB Inspectors
Updated
Updated · The Denver Post · Jul 15
Colorado Gives 1,530-Bed Aurora ICE Center Until Friday to Allow TB Inspectors
3 articles · Updated · The Denver Post · Jul 15
Summary
Tuesday’s letter from Colorado health chief Jill Hunsaker Ryan ordered the Aurora detention center to admit outside inspectors by Friday and turn over records tied to a confirmed tuberculosis case.
A positive TB test was identified June 22, but state and county officials say GEO Group and ICE have spent nearly three weeks blocking interviews, facility inspections and medical-record reviews needed to trace possible exposure.
By Wednesday evening, CDPHE said the facility had not responded; Ryan warned the lack of access prevents officials from assessing risks to detainees, staff, contractors, visitors and people transferred or released.
ICE and DHS said there were no active TB cases in the 1,530-bed facility, while not addressing whether a positive detainee had been moved; advocates say multiple detainees were tested and at least one person was removed.
The standoff extends a broader pattern of resistance to outside oversight by ICE contractors, including a recent Washington state court order forcing GEO to admit health inspectors to a Tacoma detention center.
If disease spreads from a detention center, who is responsible for protecting the public?
Is a pattern of health crises emerging at privately-run ICE facilities nationwide?
When a TB outbreak looms, can a private facility legally defy state health investigators?
Blocked TB Outbreak Investigation at Aurora ICE Facility: Public Health Risks, Legal Standoff, and Calls for Oversight
Overview
The Aurora ICE Processing Center is facing reports of a potential disease outbreak, but independent authorities have not been able to verify the situation due to challenges in conducting thorough public health investigations. This lack of access raises serious questions about transparency and the risks to the wider community, especially since detainees are regularly released and staff commute daily, creating clear pathways for pathogens to spread beyond the facility. Public health authorities stress the need for timely investigations to protect community well-being, but the full scope of the outbreak remains unclear, intensifying concerns about both detainee welfare and public safety.