Colorado sues GEO Group over refusal to aid TB probe at Aurora detention center
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment filed a lawsuit against GEO Group for blocking a tuberculosis investigation at an Aurora immigrant detention facility.
Colorado’s health department sued GEO Group on Wednesday, accusing the private prison operator of endangering public health by refusing to cooperate with a tuberculosis investigation at its Aurora immigration detention center. The lawsuit follows a June 11 report of a potential TB case, after which GEO Group told county officials the individual had been isolated but withheld medical details and contact data. State officials later identified at least 12 detainees with the disease by mid-July, prompting fears of transmission to facility workers and the surrounding population.
The complaint also notes that the infected detainee may have been moved to a Texas facility for deportation, complicating the probe. GEO Group and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have not responded to inquiries. The department cited previous collaborations on outbreaks, such as a 2019 mumps incident, to underscore the seriousness of the current situation.
Why it matters
The case highlights risks of disease spread in detention centers and challenges of enforcing public-health orders on private operators.
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