Colorado officials seek access to Aurora detention center amid health concerns

Colorado officials are seeking to compel the GEO Group to allow public health investigators access to an immigrant detention center in Aurora following a reported tuberculosis case. The Adams County Health Department has faced difficulties conducting a full epidemiological investigation, as the private company operating the facility under contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has reportedly restricted access. One detainee tested positive for tuberculosis, potentially exposing 61 other individuals.

Proposed legislative measures could allow the state attorney general to impose fines of up to $50,000 for each instance of denied access. Health officials emphasize that investigating reported tuberculosis cases is a mandatory legal requirement.

Separately, inmates at the same facility have alleged they were sickened by odors resembling natural gas over a recent weekend, reporting symptoms such as headaches, vomiting, and eye pain. While inmates claim the smell was pervasive, GEO Group spokespersons characterized the reports as a malicious prank. Aurora Fire Rescue noted that reports of gas odors were made by individuals not on-site, and Xcel Energy found no gas hazards in the immediate area, attributing similar smells nearby to a cleaning solution.