The U.S. Northern Command announced that Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, Colorado will provide facilities for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations starting January 27, 2025.
The Department of Homeland Security requested the use of the military installation to process detained migrants as part of expanding immigration enforcement operations in the Denver metro area.
The facility at Buckley will include a temporary operations center, staging area, and holding location for processing individuals. While the base will provide infrastructure and security, military personnel will not participate in the ICE operations.
ICE senior leaders, special agents, analysts, and other federal law enforcement personnel will staff and operate the processing center. The number of migrants expected to be processed at the facility has not been disclosed.
The Aurora location already houses an ICE processing center operated by private contractor The GEO Group, with capacity for over 1,500 detainees. The additional facilities at Buckley represent an expansion of detention capabilities in the region.
The move comes as part of broader immigration enforcement measures, with approximately 4,100 military troops currently stationed along the U.S.-Mexico border in California and Texas. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated the military would provide "whatever is needed at the border."
Local advocacy groups have raised concerns about detention conditions and treatment of migrants at existing facilities in the area. The administration's expanded enforcement plans could potentially affect millions of undocumented individuals nationwide.
This development marks a new phase of cooperation between military installations and immigration authorities, though the duration of the arrangement at Buckley Space Force Base remains unclear.