ICE to use Aurora’s Buckley Space Force Base to process, house detained immigrants
ICE set up a "temporary operations center, staging area and a temporary holding location for the receiving, holding and processing" of detainees, military officials said in the statement.
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Military officials have opened Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to process and temporarily house detained immigrants.
U.S. Northern Command opened the base to ICE on Monday at the request of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, according to a statement provided by military officials to Denver7.
ICE set up a “temporary operations center, staging area and a temporary holding location for the receiving, holding and processing” of detainees, military officials said in the statement.
U.S. Rep. Jason Crow, a Democrat whose congressional district includes Aurora, said Wednesday he was “deeply concerned” about Buckley being used for mass-deportation efforts.
“Let me be clear: If someone, regardless of immigration status, is committing violent crimes, they have no place in our communities,” Crow said in an emailed statement. “However, the president’s mass deportations are threatening to go after our neighbors, family members, business owners and friends in order to create a narrative that most immigrants are violent criminals. This is simply not true.”
Crow said Aurora and the military can expect his “vigorous oversight” and that he is prepared to oppose the decision in Congress.
The news comes after national media reported ICE raids could start in Aurora as early as Thursday and federal officials said more than 40 undocumented immigrants were arrested in an Adams County raid over the weekend.
For now, Buckley will be staffed by ICE officials and federal special agents and analysts, according to Northern Command’s statement. Military personnel will not be involved in any ICE raids.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
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