Full Breakdown
ICE Detention Facility Expansions Spark Legal Battles and Community Protests in Colorado
8/7/2026, 11:02:27 PM
Core Development: New ICE Detention Center in Hudson and Ongoing Zoning Fight in Glenwood Springs
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is reopening a shuttered prison in Hudson, Colorado, under a contract with GEO Group. The site, renamed the Big Horn Detention Facility, will add 1,188 bed spaces and generate about $85 million in revenue for GEO Group in its first year. Simultaneously, Glenwood Springs is suing the landlord of an ICE short-term holding facility, alleging zoning violations. Both towns have become flashpoints for protests, lawsuits, and public hearings.
Background & Context
The Hudson expansion follows a July contract between ICE and GEO Group to convert an empty prison on the town’s edge into a federal detention center. Hudson, a 1,600-resident community, has historically voted heavily for former President Donald Trump, yet the proposed facility has drawn protesters from nearby cities. In Glenwood Springs, the ICE holding site occupies a strip-mall space leased from JG Housing Solutions LLC. The city’s zoning code limits short-term detention to 12 hours, a restriction the city says ICE has repeatedly exceeded.
Data & Statistics
- GEO Group posted officer positions at $35 per hour and case-processing staff at $39 per hour; supervisor and administrator salaries range from $80,000 to $130,000, with postings open until August 7.
- The Hudson contract is expected to bring $85 million in first-year revenue and provide 1,188 additional bed spaces.
- Glenwood Springs City Council voted 6-1 to sue the landlord.
- The planning and zoning commission voted 5-1 to revoke the special-use permit.
- City data indicate the Glenwood Springs facility exceeded the 12-hour limit seven times in the most recent year; ICE officials deny any violation.
Official Statements & Responses
The town issued a formal statement on July 13 after the ICE–GEO Group contract was announced. In Glenwood Springs, city attorney Karl Hanlon advised that suing the landlord in state court offered a higher likelihood of success than confronting the federal government directly, noting the legal question centers on zoning compliance.
Criticism & Opposition
Faith-based groups and community leaders have filed a lawsuit in Weld County District Court seeking to force Hudson to apply its land-development code to the project. Together Colorado organized a public hearing on August 5 at Hudson Town Hall to discuss environmental, health, and community impacts. In Glenwood Springs, residents have documented alleged hold-time violations and described the facility as “never a secret.”
On-the-Ground Reports
Protesters in Hudson have gathered in town hall meetings, chanting “You’re Nazis!” and displaying anti-ICE signage. In Glenwood Springs, council chambers were filled with community members urging action, and the fire department responded to a July 24 call confirming continued detention activity after the permit revocation.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
The city’s data on hold-time violations contrast with a U.S. Department of Homeland Security representative who asserted detainees are “quickly processed and transferred” and are not held beyond 12 hours. No independent audit of hold times has been released.
What’s Next
The Hudson public hearing on August 5 will allow experts and community members to present evidence before the town council reconvenes at 5:30 p.m. Job postings close on August 7, after which hiring will proceed. Glenwood Springs’ lawsuit against the landlord is pending, and further legal filings may follow depending on the zoning enforcement outcome.
