Aurora police refuse to assist in search for escaped detainees
- Two illegal immigrants escaped from a detention facility in Aurora, Colorado, during a power outage on March 18, 2025.
- The Aurora Police Department was not notified of the escape until hours later, leading to confusion regarding local law enforcement's role in the search.
- One escapee was captured shortly after the escape, while the other remained at large, prompting discussions about communication and security between ICE and local authorities.
In Colorado, two illegal immigrants escaped from the Denver Contract Detention Facility in Aurora during a power outage on March 18, 2025. Authorities were alerted to the escape at approximately 12:35 a.m. on March 19, leading to significant confusion and frustration among local law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The escapees, identified as Geilond Vido-Romero and Joel Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, managed to flee unnoticed during the power outage that affected the facility the previous night. The Aurora Police Department claimed they were not notified about the missing detainees until two hours after their escape, raising concerns about response times and communication between ICE and local agencies. ICE officials reportedly contacted local authorities immediately after confirming the escapees were missing, but the Aurora Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies declined to assist in the search. This decision has drawn attention to the tensions that exist between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities regarding such incidents. As of the early morning of March 21, 2025, one of the escapees, Joel Jose Gonzalez-Gonzalez, was captured and taken into custody, but Geilond Vido-Romero remained at large, raising safety concerns in the surrounding community. The circumstances surrounding the escape have put a spotlight on the effectiveness of the system in place to monitor detainees in facilities like the one in Aurora. The power outage that led to the escape called into question the security measures in place and how prepared these facilities are to handle unexpected incidents. Both ICE and local law enforcement officials are now reviewing procedures and protocols to prevent a recurrence of such an escape in the future. Furthermore, Aurora Police Chief Todd Chamberlain expressed frustration with how the communications unfolded, noting that the significant delay in reporting missing detainees hindered their ability to respond effectively. The situation has highlighted the importance of timely information-sharing between agencies in emergency scenarios, especially when public safety is at risk. With one of the escapees now in custody, authorities are hopeful that they will soon locate the second individual and bring them back into federal custody without incident.