Aurora ICE Processing Center — Adams County CO (GEO Group)
Overview
The Aurora ICE Processing Center at 3130 Oakland Street in Aurora, CO (physically in Adams County) is a 1,530-bed GEO Group facility operational since 1986. It is Colorado’s primary formal ICE detention facility. GEO announced a $70M expansion investment in December 2025, increasing capacity from 1,360 to 1,530 beds.
Conditions (March 2026 Report)
A coalition report based on 31 detainee interviews documented:
- Malnutrition: One lunch calculated at 198 calories vs. the 500-calorie ICE minimum
- Denied medical care: 17 of 28 detainees with pre-existing conditions reported never receiving or receiving inappropriate treatment
- Extreme temperatures, physical and emotional abuse, forced labor
- Two detainee escapes during a 2025 power outage sparked federal-local dispute
Supreme Court Ruling
In February 2026, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled unanimously against GEO Group in a procedural challenge to a lawsuit alleging detainees were forced to work for little or no pay at the Aurora facility. The ruling allowed the forced labor case to proceed.
Aurora City Council
On January 12, 2026, after 3 hours of public comment, Aurora City Council passed a resolution 6-4 declaring opposition to “ICE overreach” and standing in solidarity with the Twin Cities after the Minneapolis ICE shooting. Mayor Pro Tem Alison Coombs called the facility a “stain” on Aurora (20% of 400,000+ residents are foreign-born).
On April 8, 2026, council delayed a vote on a revised MOU governing police response to emergencies at the ICE facility.
Adams County Investigation
Adams County is investigating the facility after allegations of illness and neglect.