Colorado Nonprofit Assists Immigrants Released from Aurora ICE Detention With Few Resources
Why It Matters
In Colorado, the surge in federal immigration enforcement has created a growing population of people released from detention — sometimes after months of confinement — with little more than the belongings they carried on the day of their arrest. A small Aurora-based nonprofit has become a critical bridge between detention and daily life for hundreds of people annually.
What Happened
A 40-year-old man identified only as J.R.V. spent 127 days in immigration detention after being arrested in Florida last December while driving to a construction job. Over the following months, he was transferred through detention facilities in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, and Arizona before arriving at the GEO Group-operated immigration detention center in Aurora.
When he was released on April 29, he walked out with only the items he had on him the day of his arrest — including work boots in a plastic bag marked with his name in marker. His driver’s license, passport, and work permit were never returned. J.R.V. said he did not know what he would have done without the assistance of Casa de Paz, the nonprofit organization located near the detention facility.
At Casa de Paz’s nearby house, J.R.V. was able to charge his phone, contact his wife in South Florida, and reach his attorney. He waited until the afternoon to speak with his two children — ages 12 and 9, both U.S. citizens — until they returned from school.
About Casa de Paz
Casa de Paz was founded in 2012 to provide housing for out-of-town family members visiting loved ones at the Aurora detention center. The organization received formal nonprofit status in 2016. Since then, it has assisted more than 20,000 individuals from over 82 countries, according to executive director Andrea Loya.
Over time, the organization expanded its services to include helping families fund commissary accounts and providing detainees with money for phone calls. As federal immigration enforcement has intensified, the group has also built out a website with family preparedness guides and know-your-rights resources for relatives of detained immigrants.
By the Numbers
- 20,000+ people from more than 82 countries assisted by Casa de Paz since founding
- 4,400 people helped in 2023, reflecting a surge in immigrant arrivals in Colorado
- 2,000 people helped in 2024 as detention releases declined
- ~600 people helped in 2025 as the Trump administration significantly reduced detainee releases
- ~440 people helped so far in 2026, a pace that may modestly exceed last year’s total
- 3x increase in average daily ICE arrests in Colorado compared to 2024
Zoom Out
The shift in Casa de Paz’s caseload reflects a broader national pattern since President Donald Trump’s return to office in January 2025. Detention data reviewed from the University of California, Berkeley’s Deportation Data Project shows that releases from the Aurora facility have dropped sharply while transfers to other detention centers have risen. ICE arrests across Colorado have increased dramatically, with federal agents averaging three times more daily arrests in the state last year compared to 2024.
The Aurora facility, operated by private prison contractor GEO Group, has increasingly functioned as a transfer and long-term holding hub rather than a processing center that funnels detainees back into the community. That operational shift has reduced the volume of people Casa de Paz assists upon release, even as the surrounding enforcement activity has grown.
What’s Next
Casa de Paz says it is adapting its model to focus more on supporting the families of those who remain detained rather than solely those who are released. Loya noted that call volume from family members seeking guidance on the detention process has increased, prompting the organization to expand its informational resources.
J.R.V. returned to Florida by bus after his release, still without the identification documents confiscated at the time of his arrest. Casa de Paz accompanied him to the Aurora detention facility to inquire about the missing documents, which had not been returned at the time of his discharge.