Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, county officials call on ICE to release information on tuberculosis reports
Colorado legislators and health officials are asking for answers after recent reports of another case of tuberculosis exposure at the Aurora ICE Detention Facility.
A report by the Denver Post says that an entire pod inside the facility was placed in quarantine after they were exposed to tuberculosis, but ICE has not confirmed those reports.
Sen. John Hickenlooper visited the facility last Friday, but he says staff refused to confirm if anyone there had recently tested positive or been exposed to TB.
"Public health officials can't stop a TB outbreak they're not allowed to track," the Democrat said. "ICE's refusal to follow Colorado law or give members of Congress answers puts lives at risk. They're trying to slow us down, but we won't stop pushing until we get to the bottom of this."
Andrea Loya, executive director of the immigrant rights group Casa de Paz, said that in addition to the well being of the detainees, she's worried for employees and visitors.
"You know, it's so concerning because a lot of us have exposure -- so workers, families going in there -- and the fact that there's still very little information given -- you know, that lack of transparency -- it puts us all at risk," she said.
This is the second report of tuberculosis at the facility this year. The Adams County Health Department was notified of a previous case in June, but the department says the GEO Group, which operates the facility, did not cooperate with the investigation. The Department of Homeland Security said the initial case involved someone who has since been deported.
The GEO Group is already involved in a lawsuit filed by the State of Colorado, which asked the group to comply with state law and allow public health officials to fully investigate that case.
When asked for more information on this newest case, the ACHD said:
"Earlier this year, there was a confirmed case of tuberculosis at the GEO Aurora ICE Detention Center. Adams County Health Department has not received any recent reports of new TB cases inside the facility. As with any TB investigation, it remains important to identify individuals who may have been exposed. Each delay in receiving the required information makes it more challenging to identify, test, and treat potentially exposed individuals and may increase the risk of additional transmission. We remain hopeful for a swift legal resolution that will allow our public health experts to investigate conditions at the facility as soon as possible, yet also recognize legal processes take time."
CBS Colorado reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for comment, but has not yet received a response. The Denver Post also says it has not received an answer to its request for information.
