Joe Neguse Questions GEO Group CEO on Inhumane Detention Conditions at Aurora Facility

View his questioning here.

Washington D.C.—Today, Congressman Joe Neguse questioned GEO Group Chief Executive Officer George C. Zoley at a congressional hearing held by the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations. GEO Group owns and operates a Detention Facility in Aurora, Colorado. Congressman Neguse asked Mr. Zoley about the alleged improper use of HALT at GEO Group facilities, complaints regarding the misuse of solitary confinement, and recent detainee transfers that have been made without proper notice to family members or lawyers, among other issues.

The hearing focused on providing oversight of ICE detention facilities and ICE contractors’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Prior to COVID-19, our office received countless complaints regarding the GEO-run Detention Center in Colorado, including allegations of inhumane treatment and civil rights violations,” said Congressman Neguse at the hearing. “Those issues are not unique to Colorado – and unfortunately, poor conditions that already existed have only been exacerbated by the failure of ICE and private contractors to adequately respond to COVID-19. As governments around the world implemented lockdowns and other measures to slow the spread, the Trump Administration took a different approach, of continuously transferring detainees between facilities multiple times a week, and sometimes daily. Today was an important opportunity for our office to demand answers on these critical issues, and we will continue to do so.”