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Local lawyers warn council about possible ICE flights, CoreCivic expansion and legal risks
Summary
Speakers told the council that ICE internal memos and private prison postings point to a potential reopening and expansion of the Cuerfano (Cœurfano) County Correctional Facility and possible detention flights into Pueblo Memorial Airport; presenters outlined constitutional risks and state statutory limits on municipal contracts with detention and
Richard Arona, managing partner at Arona Garcia Galvez, and his son, attorney Roman Arona, briefed the Pueblo City Council on Oct. 27 about media reports and documents they said indicate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and private prison operator CoreCivic are preparing to expand detention capacity at the Cuerfano County Correctional Facility and to use flights that could land at Pueblo Memorial Airport.
"You have to let them land if they choose to. But what you don't have to do is contract with them," Roman Arona told the council, describing the difference between federal aviation authority over landings and any municipal decisions to provide services, exclusive control or facilities for ICE operations.
The Aronas said a…
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