Congressman Jason Crow Statement on Death at the Aurora ICE Detention Facility

AURORA – Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) today released the following statement on the confirmed death of Melvin Ariel Calero-Mendoza at the Aurora GEO Group facility, a privately-owned ICE detention center.

“I join our community in mourning the loss of life at the GEO Group’s immigration detention facility in Aurora last week. Our thoughts are with Mr. Ariel Calero-Mendoza’s family and friends as they deal with this difficult news.

“Since joining Congress, I have used all tools at my disposal to perform oversight of this facility. As soon as my office became aware of this tragedy, we immediately sought more information. As I continue regular oversight, I will see to it that proper protocol is followed.”

Background:

• Rep. Crow has conducted ongoing oversight of this facility since he began representing our community in Congress.
• In 2019, after being unable to gain access to the facility, he passed the POD Act to ensure members of Congress could enter these federal facilities and provide accountability for their constituents.
• Crow’s office performs consistent oversight and publishes weekly reports to keep constituents informed about what is happening inside the facility.
• Earlier this year, Rep. Crow pressed the Biden Administration to close for-profit immigration detention centers like the GEO Group facility in Aurora.

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