(COLORADO SPRINGS) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has identified at least six Colorado facilities as potential sites to hold undocumented immigrants in the state as the federal government ramps up its mass-deportation efforts.
One location is the Huerfano County Correctional Center in Walsenburg, owned by CoreCivic–a private prison corporation. While the site is only listed as a potential ICE detention facility, the Mayor of Walsenburg said the city has water and sewer infrastructure already in place.
“If they’re ready on their end, we’re ready tomorrow,” said Mayor Garry Vezzani.
Records submitted to ICE show the Walsenburg facility, which closed in 2010, previously housed Colorado and Arizona state prisoners and has a capacity of 752, according to documents obtained by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).
The ACLU obtained the details of the proposals through a public records request and a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit. ACLU reports the documents were released on the heels of congressional passage of a reconciliation bill that has allocated $45 billion to ICE to expand its immigration detention infrastructure nationwide. The ACLU said this amount is larger than the budget for the entire federal prison system and is estimated to allow for the detention of over 100,000 people daily. The Mayor of Walsenburg eyes the project as a win for his community that is currently in debt.
“It puts us in a position where we get a chance to sell some water and sewer and collect some fees and pay off some debt that we’re currently under,” explained Mayor Vezzani. “We’ve made arrangements so our water and sewer can handle it if they come in tomorrow.”
The additional facilities planned across Colorado, according to the ACLU, include:
Cheyenne Mountain Center in Colorado Springs, owned by the GEO Group, Inc., a private prison corporation. GEO lost its contract with the facility, leading to its closure in March 2020.
Hudson Correctional Facility in Hudson, owned by real estate investment trust Highlands REIT. This facility is a prison formerly leased to GEO, which incarcerated Alaska state prisoners under contract, and was shut down in 2014.
The Baptiste Migrant Detention Facility in La Junta, owned by the Baptiste Group, formerly a Boys’ Ranch facility last used in 2023. The Baptiste Group has operated other migrant children’s facilities, including one at Homestead, Florida. In 2021, Tennessee suspended the Baptiste Group’s license due to arrests of workers on charges of sexual battery and child abuse at a migrant children’s facility.
The Colorado Springs Migrant Detention Facility in Colorado Springs, also owned by the Baptiste Group, is a former skilled nursing facility.
Apex Site Services, a provider of temporary structures and modular buildings, proposed a soft-sided detention facility in Walsenburg, and BHPE LLC (Begini Howard Private Equity), a private equity firm, also submitted proposals.
With two proposed sites in Colorado Springs, Mayor Yemi Mobolade’s office provided FOX21 News with the following statement:
We are aware of reports that the federal government is considering building detention centers in Colorado Springs. Immigration matters are under the sole authority of the federal government, and the City has not been involved in any planning or communication related to these reported facilities. Our top priority remains the safety and wellbeing of everyone in our community.
Joe Hollmann, Acting Chief Communications Officer for the City of Colorado Springs
The only ICE facility in the state is currently located in Aurora. It’s privately operated by the GEO Group and is used by ICE. Members of the ACLU fear alleged conditions at the Aurora facility could be the future across Colorado.
“Current immigration detention sites, including the GEO detention facility in Aurora, are already notorious for their inhumane conditions, including persistent medical negligence, inadequate nutrition, and routine rights violations,” said Tim Macdonald, legal director at ACLU of Colorado. “It is unconscionable to go on to expand this cruel, for-profit detention machine.”
When news dropped of the planned detention centers, Mayor Vezzani said his phone immediately filled up with messages against it.
“I got a call at 6:00 this morning reminding me of what the Ku Klux Klan did and what Hitler did and what Walsenburg is going to look like if this center opens, I just kind of said, ‘well, I’m supporting our government,'” said Mayor Vezzani. “I just want the citizens to know that I was born and raised here. I raised my family here. I plan on retiring here. We have a beautiful community, and I would not do anything that would jeopardize that, and I think it’s only going to help us. I know not everybody’s going to be happy with it, but to me, it’s a positive thing.”
FOX21 also reached out to the Mayor of La Junta and the ICE Denver Office for comment. This article will be updated when and if they respond.
