AURORA — Hundreds of people gathered Friday night outside an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Aurora to protest conditions for migrants crossing the U.S./Mexico border.
The march was organized by immigrant rights groups, and “close the camps” and “let them all in” were two of their rallying cries.
The group began to gather around 6 p.m. Friday, and started marching around the facility around 20 minutes later.
At about 8 p.m., FOX31’s Matt Mauro reported protesters pulled down the U.S. flag and replaced it with the Mexican flag.
Protestors on @ICEgov property just pulled down the American flag and replaced it with the Mexican flag. The group by the doors is growing. Though most protestors are still on the street. pic.twitter.com/X2waaFMEOW
— Matt Mauro (@mattmauronews) July 13, 2019
The GEO Group, the private contractor which operates the detention facility in Aurora, released this statement about the protests:
“Like all Americans, we at The GEO Group are concerned about the unprecedented humanitarian crisis at our Southern border; we acknowledge the challenge, but we are appalled by this historically and factually inaccurate portrayal of our facilities. Contrary to the images of other facilities on the news, our facilities have never been overcrowded, nor have they ever housed unaccompanied minors. The GEO Group’s facilities, including the processing center in Aurora, offer modern amenities with air conditioning, a bed for every individual, recreational activities, 24/7 medical care and access to legal services on the premises as we carry out our mission to provide the safest, most humane care possible.”