Published 3 days ago • loading... • Updated 2 days ago
Colorado's only ICE detention center operator sues state
The company says the law intrudes on federal immigration authority and seeks to block unannounced health and safety inspections every three months.
The GEO Group filed a lawsuit this week challenging Colorado's House Bill 26-1276, which mandates increased oversight of the company's 1,532-bed detention center in Aurora.
Signed by Gov. Jared Polis last week, the law allows the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to conduct unannounced safety inspections every three months.
Calling the measure a direct affront to the Supremacy Clause, the company argues the bill "fits into a broader pattern of state efforts to improperly assert regulatory authority" over federal operations.
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser defended the legislation, stating, "These are private facilities that are subject to legal oversight, they don't operate outside the law."
This legal challenge follows reports of medical concerns at the Aurora facility, where The Adams County Health Department investigation documented obstacles including blocked staff interviews and delayed patient access.