Two Immigrants Escape Denver Detention Center After Outage

Two Immigrants Escape Denver Detention Center After Outage \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ Two men escaped a Denver-area immigration detention center after a power outage reportedly caused back doors to open. Aurora police criticized the delay in notification from facility staff, hindering their response. ICE confirmed the escapees, from Mexico and Venezuela, remain at large as the search continues.

Denver Detention Center Escape After Power Outage Quick Looks

• Two men escaped a Denver-area ICE detention facility Tuesday night.
• The escape reportedly occurred after a power outage opened rear doors.
• Aurora police say they were notified two hours after the men went missing.
• Police noted they need notification within 15 minutes to assist effectively.
• ICE confirmed both escapees remain at large, search efforts ongoing.
• The escapees are from Mexico and Venezuela, previously jailed on unspecified charges.
• The facility is operated by private company GEO Group.
• GEO stated the outage may have damaged security systems.
• Aurora police criticized the delayed, incomplete reporting from detention staff.
• Colorado’s sanctuary laws limit local-federal immigration cooperation, complicating response.
• ICE declined to comment on discrepancies in response timing.
• The state has issued alerts urging public vigilance and transparency from ICE.

Deep Look

A high-profile escape from a Denver-area immigration detention center has raised serious concerns over communication failures, security lapses, and the fragile cooperation between federal immigration officials and local law enforcement. Two detainees—one from Mexico and another from Venezuela—escaped from the privately operated Aurora Contract Detention Facility late Tuesday night during a power outage that apparently compromised key security systems.

The GEO Group, which runs the facility, reported that the outage may have disabled sections of its security infrastructure, allowing the two men to slip through rear doors and scale a perimeter fence leading to an outdoor soccer field. The escape wasn’t discovered until an emergency headcount was conducted in the aftermath of the power failure.

While the escape itself has prompted concerns over detention center protocols and infrastructure reliability, the handling of the response has sparked even greater controversy. Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain said in a strongly worded statement that his department was notified too late to assist meaningfully. According to the police department’s timeline, the facility called 911 at around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday—roughly two hours after realizing the detainees were missing. Even then, the initial call was lacking in crucial details, forcing a police commander to follow up with a second call for clarification.

By the time police received comprehensive information, it was already hours after the escape, believed to have taken place around 10 p.m. Tuesday. Chamberlain emphasized that while Aurora police have a standing agreement with GEO Group to assist in escape situations, that agreement hinges on being notified within 15 minutes of the escape. “In order for us to effectively respond to and assist our federal partners with calls for service, we need to receive timely and accurate information,” Chamberlain said. “That unfortunately did not happen, as demonstrated by the facts of this incident.”

Despite U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) claiming that local law enforcement agencies were “immediately notified,” Aurora police have challenged that narrative. The miscommunication has amplified frustrations about the difficulty of balancing state sanctuary policies, private facility management, and federal immigration enforcement. Colorado’s sanctuary policies limit cooperation between local police and federal immigration authorities, though the Aurora Police Department has exceptions in place for escape scenarios.

Aurora police only dispatched an officer to the facility around 5 a.m. Wednesday, nearly seven hours after the escape. By then, valuable time to track the escapees had been lost. According to the officer’s report, a facility administrator admitted that the men were discovered missing during the emergency headcount triggered by the power outage. The two detainees reportedly fled through unsecured doors leading to a recreational field.

This security breach and delayed response have triggered broader questions about the efficacy of private immigration detention centers. GEO Group, a Florida-based company that manages multiple private facilities across the United States, issued a statement acknowledging the failure and promising corrective measures. “We are working urgently to ensure that all necessary corrective actions are implemented to prevent such instances from reoccurring,” the company said.

Governor Jared Polis’s office also weighed in, with spokesperson Ally Sullivan stating that the state had issued an alert to law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for the escapees. However, ICE did not request additional state or local assistance beyond that alert. “We continue to urge ICE to be transparent with the state and the public about this incident as it develops, including whether any escapees are a danger to the public,” Sullivan said.

The incident has reignited political debate around sanctuary policies and federal immigration enforcement. Republican lawmakers and federal officials have repeatedly criticized Denver and Colorado for limiting cooperation with ICE, claiming these policies undermine public safety. However, Aurora police made it clear that the root of the problem was not policy restrictions but rather the failure of timely communication from GEO Group staff.

Adding complexity to the situation is the presence of gang-related concerns. Aurora police have worked closely with ICE in the past, including investigating violent incidents believed to involve members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua. This gang is increasingly becoming a concern for law enforcement in several U.S. cities, raising questions about the detainees’ potential affiliations and the public safety risks they might pose. ICE, however, has not commented on whether either of the escapees has gang ties or poses a specific threat.

As the search continues, state and local officials are urging public vigilance and pressuring ICE to provide more transparency regarding the ongoing investigation and any potential danger to residents.

The broader implications of this incident stretch beyond a local escape. The event highlights flaws in security infrastructure at privately managed detention centers, weaknesses in communication protocols, and the challenges of inter-agency cooperation in states with sanctuary laws. As federal, state, and local authorities scramble to manage the fallout, calls for oversight and accountability are growing louder.

The escape has also led to renewed scrutiny of private prison contractors like the GEO Group, with critics questioning whether profit-driven motives compromise security and responsiveness. In recent years, several reports have cited staffing shortages, inadequate training, and poor infrastructure at privately run detention centers — all of which may have played a role in this incident.

For now, both escapees remain at large, with law enforcement agencies issuing alerts and urging the public to report any sightings or suspicious activity. The incident underscores the urgent need for stronger security measures, clearer communication protocols, and improved coordination between private detention operators, federal agencies, and local law enforcement.

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