Advocates present report alleging poor medical care, harsh conditions and low pay at Aurora GEO immigration detention center

Arc, coordinator of the Shutdown GEO Aurora campaign at the American Friends Service Committee, and Bee, an organizer with HouseKeys Action Network Denver (HAND), presented a quarterly report to community members describing what they say are persistent abuses and systemic failures at the GEO Group immigration detention facility in Aurora.

The presenters said the report is based on roughly 31 volunteer-submitted complaint forms gathered during in-person visits and recorded calls and that it will be published quarterly. Arc said the campaign’s demands are that GEO not receive a new contract when the current agreement expires in October 2026, that detainees not be transferred to other facilities, and that the site be closed and the land returned to the local community.

Why it matters: organizers said the Department of Homeland Security pays GEO Group roughly $150–$200 per detainee per day for the Aurora contract, while detainees are forced into a voluntary work program that pays about $0.13 per hour. Bee said that wage disparity and steep commissary and phone prices (a 30‑minute call costs about $5) create “a loop of making this ridiculously low amount of money and then being forced to spend it to survive.”

Methodology and main findings: Bee described the report’s approach as categorizing every complaint submission and ranking themes by frequency. Medical concerns were the most mentioned issue. Presenters said many detainees reported new diagnoses and worsening conditions while detained, widespread delays or denial of treatment for dental and physical ailments, interruptions in medication and poor access to mental‑health care. Bee read excerpts volunteers provided, including a redacted account of severe dental pain and reports that some individuals “scream at night” from untreated mental‑health needs.

Organizers identified the facility’s named physician, Dr. Kerry Walker, and referenced an ongoing malpractice suit linked in the report regarding the death of detainee Melvin Caldero Mendoza. According to the presenters, Mendoza was not referred for higher‑level care after symptoms related to a blood clot. The presenters described staffing as minimal—one on‑site physician for an estimated 1,200–1,500 people, a handful of LPNs and roughly three RNs—leaving many conditions untreated or addressed only with ibuprofen, Benadryl or advice to drink water.

Living conditions and discipline: the report, presenters said, documents cold temperatures from vents, lights and televisions left on 24/7, blurred video backgrounds that hide interior conditions during calls and restrictions on what family and volunteers may bring. Bee said solitary confinement and punitive withholding of commissary, tablets or visitation were commonly reported; submissions indicated there were no consistent standards for placing someone in solitary, and organizers said that in some cases both persons in an altercation were placed in solitary.

Food and nutrition: presenters quoted a detainee’s description of lunch as roughly 198 calories—well below the organizers’ stated 500‑calorie minimum standard—and said detainees reported spoiled or poorly handled food and that dietary restrictions were sometimes ignored. Organizers also provided examples of commissary pricing they said forces detainees to spend many days’ labor to purchase basic items (for example, a can of chicken breast described in the report at $17.49).

Legal access and transfers: Arc and Bee said transfers across facilities and states make it harder for detainees to reach lawyers and relatives. Presenters cited that about 70% of people in immigration detention lack legal representation and described patterns in transfer data that they said further impede due process and access to counsel.

Organizing and next steps: the presenters urged volunteers to help with case management, court accompaniment, pen‑pal programs and other support. They posted a petition in the meeting chat and announced a vigil the following day; Bee said the group will publish another quarterly report in three months and is coordinating targeted outreach to Aurora elected officials concerning the contract renewal.

Quotes from presenters: Bee said the volunteers who gathered testimony “were putting themselves at further peril just to be able to get this information out there.” Arc asked participants to spread the report’s findings, saying, “If each of you in this meeting goes and tells, like, three people about this, that’s a huge deal.”

What the presentation does not establish: the report is compiled from voluntary submissions and volunteer observations; presenters acknowledged that many detainees decline to report for fear of retaliation. Organizers described lawsuits and a recent court ruling in the campaign narrative but framed legal developments as parts of the broader accountability strategy rather than as outcomes of the meeting. Presenters called for civic pressure, legal action and more volunteer support rather than announcing any immediate policy decisions by local or federal authorities.

The meeting closed with a call to sign the petition, attend the vigil and participate in volunteer opportunities; presenters said they will release the next quarterly report in approximately three months.