Legal challenges to Colorado immigration detention center

Legal challenges have emerged regarding the planned reopening of the Big Horn immigration detention center in Hudson, Colorado.

On September 21, 2026, Latino organizations GreenLatinos and the Coalition for Immigrant Rights in Colorado (CIRC) filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court. The plaintiffs argued that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) failed to perform required environmental assessments. They expressed concerns that the facility, which has a capacity for up to 1,250 immigrants, could negatively impact public health, air quality, water supply, and traffic in the Denver/North Front Range metropolitan region.

On September 29, 2026, Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a federal lawsuit against DHS and ICE to halt the remodeling and opening of the facility. This state-led action also alleges violations of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), specifically citing potential impacts on animal populations and local infrastructure. The state is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop renovations at the former private prison and is challenging a $528.7 million contract with the GEO Group. This represents the third legal challenge to the project.