Nurse warns about staffing for detention facilities; restaurant owner asks help for detained employee

A nurse and a small-business owner raised separate but related immigration and public-health concerns during the Denver City Council public comment session on March 9.

Anne Steele, a nurse and Spanish-speaking medical and mental-health interpreter, said she works with immigrants affected by ICE and that health-care staffing is strained nationwide. Steele said DHS is purchasing warehouse sites for detention and alleged that some contractors profit from detention and that health staff are unwilling to work in those facilities. "Anyone who contracts with ICE, DHS, GEO, the Keith Group, Well Path, Axon, HIG Capital ... is complicit in the death of the people inside," Steele said.

Separately, Tiffany Hernandez, a tipped employee and community organizer, introduced restaurant owner Chris Donato of Champagne Tiger, who said an employee working through the asylum process was detained by ICE after a clerical error and had been held for more than two weeks. Donato said the employer has tried channels to resolve the case and asked the council for help to secure the worker's release. "Any help you can provide would be sincerely appreciated," Donato said.

Comments included strong allegations about detention operations and staffing; the council did not respond during the comment period. These are claims made by public commenters and were not verified by city staff during the session.