If someone you love has been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, in Colorado, the good news for finding them is that Colorado has historically had just one major immigration detention center, the Aurora facility near Denver. That means an adult detained in Colorado has a strong chance of being held there, at least at first. The state's detention capacity is growing, so that may change, but either way the two most urgent things you can do are the same: find exactly where your person is being held, and get an immigration attorney involved right away.
It helps to understand the nature of this. ICE detention is civil, not criminal. A person is not being held as punishment for a crime; they are being held to secure their presence for immigration proceedings or removal. And unlike criminal court, immigration court does not provide a free, government appointed lawyer, which is why finding legal help early is so important.
One number matters more than anything else through all of this: the Alien Registration Number, called the A-Number. It is a nine digit number assigned to the case, found on immigration paperwork, a work permit, or court notices. Write it down and keep it close, because it is the key to locating your person, posting any bond, and working with a lawyer.
How to find someone in ICE custody
ICE runs a free public tool called the Online Detainee Locator System, at locator.ice.gov. You can search by the A-Number, which is the most reliable way, or by the person's full name plus their country of birth and date of birth.
A few things make the difference between finding your person and coming up empty. The locator only matches names spelled exactly the way the government entered them, so if you get no result, try different spellings, swap the order of first and last names, and try with and without a middle name. Children under 18 do not appear in the system at all. And there can be a lag of a day or more before a newly detained person shows up.
If you cannot find them, call the facility directly if you know where they are, or call the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. Colorado falls under the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Denver field office, which oversees immigration custody for the state.
Where ICE detention happens in Colorado
For years, Colorado has had a single large immigration detention center: the Aurora ICE Processing Center, officially called the Denver Contract Detention Facility, on Oakland Street in Aurora, just east of Denver. It is run by the private prison company GEO Group under contract with ICE. In late 2025 its capacity was raised to about 1,530 people, and it has generally held somewhere over a thousand at a time.
Colorado's detention footprint is expanding, however. A dormant prison in Hudson, northeast of Denver, has been contracted to operate as a new ICE detention facility, and additional sites elsewhere in the state have been proposed. If those move forward, people could be held farther from the Denver area than they are now. Because the active list of facilities is changing, always rely on the live locator to confirm where your person actually is rather than assuming they are in Aurora.
How someone ends up in ICE custody in Colorado
Colorado law limits how much local police and sheriffs can help ICE. State law generally bars local law enforcement from holding someone on an ICE detainer without a judicial warrant, and restricts sharing certain personal information with federal immigration officers. Because of that, the path of being booked into a county jail and handed directly to ICE is narrower in Colorado than in states that fully cooperate.
In practice, that means most people in Colorado are taken into immigration custody through ICE's own enforcement in the community rather than through local jails. It is still worth asking an attorney exactly how your person came into ICE custody, because the circumstances of an arrest can matter to the case.
How the process and your person's rights work
Immigration cases are handled in immigration court, run by a separate agency called the Executive Office for Immigration Review, not by ICE. Colorado has immigration courts in the Denver area, including one connected to the Aurora facility, and you can check case status through the court's automated system using the A-Number.
Here is what families most need to know about rights. A detained person has the right to be represented by a lawyer, but at their own expense, because the government does not provide one in immigration proceedings. They have the right to a list of free or low cost legal service providers. They generally have the right to a hearing before an immigration judge, and in many cases the right to ask that judge for release on bond. Some people are eligible for bond, which a judge can set and which can then be paid for release while the case continues; others fall under mandatory detention and are not eligible. An immigration attorney can tell you quickly which category your person is in, which is one more reason to get legal help early.
How families can help from the outside
Find a lawyer first. The Denver area has a strong network of immigration attorneys and legal aid organizations, including groups familiar with the Aurora facility, so there is real help available. Have the A-Number ready when you call.
Put money on their account and learn the phone system. The facility lets you deposit funds so your person can buy phone time and commissary. You usually cannot call a detainee directly, though there is typically a way to pass an urgent message if you provide the person's full name and A-Number. Call the facility to confirm how deposits, calls, and messages work.
Visit if you can. The facility sets its own visitation days, hours, and rules, so confirm everything before you go, and arrive early to clear security.
Keep the paperwork organized. Hold onto every document with the A-Number, every court notice, and every receipt, and share copies with the attorney.
Staying connected matters more than anything
Through all of the logistics, do not underestimate the simple power of staying in touch. Detention is isolating and frightening, often made worse by the fear of deportation, and steady contact from home is one of the few things that genuinely helps a person hold on.
Letters and photos are the backbone of that connection. They are something your person can keep, read again on a hard night, and hold as proof that home has not let go. InmateAid can help you send physical mail and photos to your loved one, printed and delivered the right way so it reaches them inside. Use it to send pictures of family, words of encouragement, or simply a reminder that someone is fighting for them on the outside. That steady contact, alongside a good lawyer, is the most practical support you can give while the case moves forward.
Frequently asked questions
Where does ICE detain people in Colorado?
For years the main facility has been the Aurora ICE Processing Center, officially the Denver Contract Detention Facility, run by GEO Group in Aurora, just east of Denver. Its capacity was raised to about 1,530 in late 2025. Colorado is expanding its detention capacity, including a contracted facility in Hudson and other proposed sites, so always confirm the current location with the locator.
How do I find someone detained by ICE in Colorado?
Use the free Online Detainee Locator System at locator.ice.gov, searching by the nine digit A-Number or by full name, country of birth, and date of birth. If you cannot find them, call the facility or the ICE detention reporting line at 1-888-351-4024. People under 18 do not appear in the locator.
Does Colorado cooperate with ICE?
Colorado law limits local cooperation. Local law enforcement generally cannot hold someone on an ICE detainer without a judicial warrant, and there are limits on sharing personal information with immigration officers. ICE still conducts its own enforcement in the state.
Can someone be released from ICE detention on bond?
Sometimes. An immigration judge can set bond for people who are eligible, and it can then be paid for release while the case continues. Others are subject to mandatory detention and cannot get bond. An immigration attorney can determine which applies.
Is there more than one ICE detention center in Colorado?
For years Aurora was the only major one, but the state is expanding. A dormant prison in Hudson has been contracted as a new ICE facility, and other sites have been proposed, so check the locator to see where your person is actually held.
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