Overview
- A federal judge in Denver granted a partial preliminary injunction Thursday that bars Colorado from requiring unannounced quarterly inspections of the Aurora ICE processing center, from charging GEO for those inspections, and from enforcing related civil penalties.
- Judge Daniel Domenico wrote the provisions are likely preempted because they single out GEO as a federal contractor and could force the company to violate its federal contract with ICE.
- The court left most of HB26-1276 in place, preserving county inspection authority and potential future rules on reporting, housing of minors and staffing because the state said it is not currently moving to enforce those sections.
- Colorado’s attorney general filed a separate lawsuit to enforce an existing public-health order tied to a June tuberculosis case at the Aurora facility, and state officials say GEO has refused multiple requests for access and records during the health investigation.
- The injunction lasts until Oct. 15, 2026 when GEO’s current ICE contract expires, a timeline the judge said could change the legal analysis and that could affect state oversight, the ongoing litigation and public-health efforts going forward.