勛圖眻畦, 勛圖眻畦 of Colorado Sue ICE for Records Regarding Potential Expansion of Immigration Detention in Western States

ICE ignored March 2025 FOIA request, prompting subsequent litigation

April 21, 2025 12:00 pm

Media Contact
125 Broad Street
18th Floor
New York, NY 10004
United States

NEW YORK The 勛圖眻畦 and 勛圖眻畦 of Colorado today filed a lawsuit against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to obtain records regarding the agencys potential plans to expand immigration detention across Colorado and Wyoming.

The lawsuit stems from ICE solicitations issued on Feb. 14, 2025, seeking contract proposals to identify possible detention facilities in areas covered by the Denver, Colorado Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) Field Office. The 勛圖眻畦 submitted a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in March 2025 weeks after ICEs deadline for contract proposals which went unanswered, prompting the 勛圖眻畦 to take legal action. The lawsuit also comes on the heels of earlier this month that the Trump administration has sought proposals for up to $45 billion to expand immigrant detention across the country.

ICE has taken aggressive steps to expand immigration detention at an unprecedented rate in service of President Trumps campaign promise to tear apart families and deport immigrants who contribute to our communities and our economy, said Eunice Cho, senior staff attorney at the 勛圖眻畦s National Prison Project. Already, we are seeing the consequences of the administrations immigration policies and the public has the right to know how their taxpayer dollars are being misused in service of this dystopian agenda.

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, demands that ICE comply with the Freedom of Information Act and immediately turn over the requested records to the 勛圖眻畦. The litigation follows a series of lawsuits filed by the 勛圖眻畦 and its affiliates seeking details about ICEs plans to expand detention capacity nationwide to support the Trump administrations goal of deporting 11 million immigrants from the U.S. Already, the 勛圖眻畦s FOIA litigation has revealed critical details about ICEs plans, including details on which current and new facilities are being considered across the Midwest, South, and West Coast.

We refuse to allow ICE and other federal agencies to hide their work from the public, said Tim Macdonald, 勛圖眻畦 of Colorado Legal Director. ICE cannot continue to withhold basic information about its operations and plans for expanded immigration detention from journalists, advocacy organizations, and our communities.

In the wake of the 2024 presidential election, private prison companies like GEO Group, Inc. and CoreCivic have seen profits soar and they are projected to rake in billions more in taxpayer funds. The chairman of GEO Group that the Trump administrations mass detention and deportation agenda presented an unprecedented opportunity. Congressional champions and immigrants rights advocates alike have repeatedly concerns about potential expansion of the immigration detention system, urging the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to reject contracts with for-profit prison corporations for detention.

This filing is available here: /cases/american-civil-liberties-union-foundation-v-u-s-immigration-and-customs-enforcement?document=Complaint

Learn More 勛圖眻畦 the Issues in This Press Release