ALAMOSA — Earlier this month, exclusive investigative reporting by the Colorado Times Recorder (CTR) first revealed that, in addition to the major Geo Group detention center in Aurora where as many as 1500 “non-citizens” are detained in conditions described by visitors as “brutal”, there are also nine “hidden” hold rooms across the state, sometimes in places like strip malls, where people are  detained for extended periods of time, sometimes for weeks.  CTR’s reporting was based on information obtained by the Data Deportation Project.

Alamosa is one of those nine facilities.

But, unlike other places, the Alamosa ICE facility isn’t in a strip mall somewhere. Although its location is likely news to some people, the agency has been officed in a single story red brick building at 1921 State Avenue since the early 2000s and is described as a field office and processing center, “nondescript, the back half fenced-in and hemmed with three rows of razor or barbed wire” (CTR).

CTR is making some damning accusations backed up by extensive data. Those living in and near Alamosa have a right to know what is being done with their federal tax dollars in the town where they live.

To be of any use, the information shared with the public must be based on generally agreed upon facts. As the Valley Courier has learned, getting those facts is very difficult.

A hold room, per DHS policy, may be used for “temporary detention of individuals awaiting removal or transfer, court hearings, medical treatment, intra-facility transfer or other processing into or out of the facility.”

The hold rooms must be within a secured perimeter, well-ventilated and allow for easy check-ups. The room must have enough space for each detainee, allowing for maximum room capacity. Detainees must also be granted access to restroom facilities and potable water. And facilities “must be held to federal and state accessibility standards.”

And finally, policy clearly states that “bunks, cots, beds and other sleeping apparatus must not be made available in hold rooms with the exception of people who are ill and pregnant women.”

Starting in 2011, DHS policy prohibited anyone being held in a hold room for longer than twelve hours. In general terms, the point could be made that the policy is tolerable, if not appropriate, for someone being detained for up to twelve hours.

But in June of 2025, the maximum time a person can be held increased to 72 hours – three days and three nights – with no change in any other parts of the policy.

There’s a big difference between twelve hours and three days and nights, yet still no discussion of how often detainees must be fed or granted access to rest rooms or water. And still there is the prohibition of beds, cots and other sleeping apparatus.

CTR specified that, from January to October of 2025, Alamosa held a total of 53 individuals, including mention of a child who was seven years old.

While detaining a child is a clear violation of DHS policy – and one that CTR claims is regularly violated in facilities across the state - no specifics were provided under what condition those people were held and for how long. And those two factors seem to be fundamental in determining the degree to which people are harmed by this “new” practice ICE policy.

As has become longstanding standard practice across the federal government, local field agents are not allowed to speak to the media, and our questions were referred to Steve Kotecki, ICE Public Information Officer in Denver.

The first response read: 

"ICE cannot comment on that as the information is in an article that uses the Deportation Data Project as it’s [sic] source. The Deportation Project created by UC Berkeley is an external organization that DHS cannot verify the source of, accuracy, completeness, or methodology of the data.

To receive a definitive answer on that you would need to file a FOIA request with ICE."

When reminded that the question was about data maintained by ICE, not the information collected by the Deportation Project or CTR, the following was the response.

"Statement attributable to an ICE spokesperson:

These locations are not “hidden” or “black sites,” they are ICE suboffices located throughout Colorado and the country. These offices are where aliens may be asked to check in for appointments and where our officers report for work, conduct investigations, process arrests and may temporarily hold detainees before transferring them to a detention center. Many of the offices have holding cells which conform to all national detention standards and are inspected regularly, they are akin to a sheriff’s office or police department suboffice.

 On occasion when a family unit is arrested they may temporarily pass through a suboffice before transportation is arranged for them to a detention center with a family housing unit. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement does not separate families or deport U.S. citizens. Illegal alien parents — absent indications of abuse or neglect — can choose to take their children with them, regardless of the children’s immigration statuses. Parents who choose to leave their children in the U.S. have the option to designate a third-party caregiver. This has always been the case, and this policy aligns with President Trump’s executive orders. This directive simply standardizes the required forms for illegal alien parents."

 The Valley Courier has since filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request but, as of Tuesday – almost two weeks after it was submitted – no information has been provided.

When asked to weigh in on the situation, Flora Archuleta, executive director of the SLV Immigration Center, said, “We are aware that individuals have been picked up, but we were not aware that they were being held here in Alamosa for any length of time. I have always been under the impression that this ICE facility was just a processing center.”