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Aurora OKs bigger immigration detention center

City: Question is zoning policy, not immigration

By April M. Washington, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published June 2, 2008 at 11:55 p.m.

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Eight-year-old Gianella Ramos clutched a protest sign Monday at a City Council meeting, chanting "No to GEO! No to detention!"

She was among 30 protesters who rallied on the steps of the Aurora Municipal Center on Monday and called on the City Council to oppose the planned expansion of an immigration detention center that will more than triple the size of the facility.

"I do this for my mother who is an immigrant," she said.

"The detention center is a bad place. It hurts families like mine."

After taking two hours of public comments, the council voted unanimously to pull the issue from its agenda after the business owner who asked for a public hearing withdrew his appeal over the weekend for undisclosed reasons.

The City Council characterized the issue as strictly a zoning matter and signaled it would not weigh in on the immigration debate.

"How we deal with immigration or how we don't deal with immigration is not what's in front of the council," said Mayor Ed Tauer.

"From a legal perspective, what's in front of us is a site plan. What we have to consider is: Does the project meet city zoning guidelines?"

In effect, expansion OK'd

The move effectively clears the way for GEO Group Inc. to turn a 400-bed facility into a 1,500-bed center to house illegal immigrants, making it the second-largest detention center in the nation.

The company, which plans to sink $72 million into the project, estimates by adding 1,100 beds it will generate an additional $30 million in revenue and create new jobs.

The project is slated for completion in 2009.

The company currently has a contract with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for 400 beds.

The company's contract is up for review each year for the next four years.

ICE denies that it is behind the expansion efforts.

"We do have a contract with GEO to hold detainees," said Tim Counts, spokesman for ICE.

"It's our understand they're expanding, but we have have no immediate plans to use additional space."

Immigration rights groups decried the council's decision.

"This is an issue of how we protect the most vulnerable people of society," said Kara Martinez of Aurora.

"This is about human rights."

Neighbors' views mixed

The council's backing of the project comes two months after the Aurora Planning Commission gave a green light to the detention center expansion, sparking an appeal by nearby business owner Tony Paradiso.

He withdrew his appeal Saturday.

The project drew mixed reactions from nearby homeowners Monday, with some opposing it and others supporting it.

"I do not want a prison in my front yard," said Nick Spagnola, a longtime Aurora resident who lives in the nearby Morris Heights neighborhood.

"It will sit 500 feet from the first home."

Former Councilwoman Nadine Caldwell called it a good addition to the area, saying the facility has operated in Aurora for 20 years with few problems.

washingtonam@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5086

By the numbers

400 beds was the original proposal for the center to detain illegal immigrants. The facility is in a warehouse district near East 30th Avenue and Peoria Street.

1,500 beds is the new capacity after the Aurora City Council voted unanimously to remove the question from its agenda, citing it as a zoning issue.

$72 million is the price for the GEO Group project. The company operates private prisons and detention centers worldwide.

$30 million in revenue is expected to be generated annually by adding the beds to what will be the second-largest detention center in the nation.

Comments

  • June 3, 2008

    2 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    auroramike writes:

    This is a very sad day for Aurora...a very sad day for Colorado. I am ashamed that my very own City Council would deny a public hearing on an issue of such immense magnitude for our community. I am ashamed that my own City Council would be persuaded by the GEO Group--a multi-billion dollar multi-national corporation--yet ignore the concerns of its very own constituents and their calls for a fair public hearing. Aurora is now guaranteed to be a symbol of detention and family separation for years to come. Congratulations Aurora City Council...and shame on you!

  • June 3, 2008

    7:01 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Alive writes:

    Aside from the open borders zealots (racists), I think the majority of American citrizens are in support of measures like these. The United States has EVERY right to secure it's borders and to say who can and cannot enter the country. Period.

    We are adopting stricter immigration inforcement policies because we need to. Policies like Mexico has.

    The party is over for illegals.

  • June 3, 2008

    7:18 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    vudumom writes:

    Let me get this straight. People enter our country illegally, but it's their civil right. They steal other people's identities, but it's their civil right.They drive without licenses, but it's their civil right. They drive without insurance, but it's their civil right. They lower job wages in some industries, but it's their civil right. They have child after child on the tax payer's dime, but it's their civil right. They drain resources from society at the expense of citizens, but it's there civil right. They break law after law,, but it's their civil right.

    When do the civil rights of the tax paying citizen's begin?

  • June 3, 2008

    8:23 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Alive writes:

    MarineGrunt,

    My post was against illegal immigration. I'm not sure I am following what you are saying.

  • June 3, 2008

    11:03 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    PiperJM writes:

    I appreciate that the city council allowed public comment on this issue.

    However, I would add that the city council did not address two important zoning issues brought to their attention. 1) The insufficient drainage in the new parking lot and 2) The lack of indoor waiting space for families who are there for visitation which forces families to wait outside in the heat and cold to see a relative. Both impact the neighborhood as a whole.

    I also feel that it is unfortunate that this issue was not heard by city council and that they did not feel the need to question GEO directly about these issues. The city will be powerless to cite GEO on these issues as the city approved their site plan.

    Finally I am saddened for our communities. The decision by council proves that, to them, the words in Aurora's comprehensive plan are nothing more than words.

    "When the goals of the city are achieved…
    - Aurora’s diversity continues to be celebrated as an essential
    characteristic of the community.
    - Public, private, and religious organizations meet the educational
    and service delivery needs of immigrants.
    - Aurora has no households that are isolated from the community
    by a language barrier.
    - Immigrants continue to take advantage of abundant opportunities
    to assimilate or acculturate, and fully participate in civic affairs."

  • June 3, 2008

    12:06 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    redwhiteandBLUE writes:

    YES! To detention!
    YES! To deportation!

    Good one vudomom.

  • June 3, 2008

    12:22 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    fishtanksamurai writes:

    Typical yellow journalism from the Rocky. Interviewing 8 year old children and presenting the pro-illegal apologists point of view. Like I've said before, the RMN agenda is clearly showing. Could you be anymore slanted in your reporting? I expect you, RMN, to just report the facts, there is plenty of room for bias one way or the other in the readers comments.

  • July 22, 2008

    10:05 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    URALSR writes:

    Wow. How tragically misguided. McCarthyism abounds!

    Where to start?

    auroramike: Thank you. It's good to know someone with some sense lives in that part of the country. Keep up the good job THINKING. It'll come in real handy in the future.

    Alive: Ok, by definition 'open border zealots' are probably not racists. They might be elitists, radicals or even crazy, but open border zealots and racists don't generally belong in the same sentence, unless explaining contrasting points of view. I’d prefer to spend the money on foolish things like healthcare and education. To rebuild the Berlin Wall over teaching the little children, you must not love your country. How concerned are you about this open border thing? I don’t know about you, but up until about five years ago, I NEVER thought about the border. If you think living in a country without proper documentation is a party, then I'm coming over to your place for New Years.

    RememberThis: Ever heard of Sylvan? Might want to check it out. BTW, immigrant doesn't mean illegal. Dope.

    vudumom: There are huge differences between civil and criminal violations. Betchya don't know what they are. Look it up. While you're at it, I bet you'll find that these gall darn illegals pay more into taxes than they draw out. Do some research before you struggle to develop another ill-informed opinion. Then tell your friends you were wrong. I'm also gonna bet that all of the things you said were 'their civil rights', probably totally wrong. I don't think undocumented immigrants are allowed to do any of those things. Maybe I woke up in another country this morning but...furthermore, it's the failure of OUR government to fix the problem. I bet if they had more support for actually fixing the problem, rather than pretending to fix the problem by throwing money at really expensive, waste of time projects, then we might make some progress. Knowing my country as well as I do and having a fairly developed understanding of people like you, I'm also gonna bet, probably not gonna happen until everyone in this thread has passed. And then, chances are, our screwed up kids won't be able to fix it either.

  • July 22, 2008

    10:06 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    URALSR writes:

    PajamaPulitzer: Really? Buses? No thank you. Not with the price of gas at $4.15 a gallon. Why don't you shackle them and herd them down Mexico way, March to Rangoon style. You can probably find some film reels about that kind of 'mass transportation' strategy. I hear the Germans, Russians, Japanese and Chinese are real good at it. Look into it for us.

    MarineGrunt: In 10,000 words or less, why don't you explain the immigration process to us? Alive is on your side buddy. I know he's not completely articulate but I thought you'd be capable of recognizing someone on your team. You're not really a marine, are you? Oh and you’re not racist because you want people to enter the country legally, you’re racist because you don’t like people that don’t look like you and saying it’s because of their legal status is the easiest way for you to discriminate without getting sued.

    PiperJM: Thank you. How about a little more civic involvement of the citizens of your community in the affairs of your community? Kind of like they've all given up and bought into 'the government knows best' frame of thought. Scary, right? You get to live in the shining city upon the hill. The rest of you: Access Denied.

    redwhiteandBLUE: YES! To mandatory sterilization! (Joking but I hope you get the point). YES! To mandatory licensing to have and raise children. (Not joking, way too many sacks raising the next generation of people).

    fishtanksamurai: Samurai? That's not an American word. That's a Japanese word. I think I found us a commie. Hello commie. Learn English!

    MarineGrunt: Are you sure it's not like 93%?