AURORA, Colo. — For days, questions have been swirling about how the Trump administration plans to use Buckley Space Force Base as part of its mass deportation efforts.
A military spokesperson confirmed to Denver7 that USNORTHCOM provided facilities at Buckley Space Force Base at the request of the Department of Homeland Security. In a statement, the spokesperson said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will set up a "temporary operations center, staging area, and a temporary holding location for the receiving, holding, and processing" of detainees.
Congressman Jason Crow said he became deeply concerned after learning the news about the Space Force base, which sits in his district.
“I immediately started to conduct oversight and submit requests for information to [the Department of Defense], requests for information to Homeland Security and to gather the information that's necessary to conduct the oversight that's important,” said Crow.
Unsatisfied with the information he was getting, Crow showed up at the base on Monday.
"Sometimes I've learned that when there are reports, when there are rumors in a community, the best thing to do is just show up and start poking around to get information for yourself,” said Crow.
Crow said officials at the base, including a special agent in charge, told him the base was indeed being used for Homeland Security, specifically ICE operations. But the congressman said he was told the base would not be used for immigrant detention.
"I have been told that it will not be used to house immigrants and detainees, that it will only be used as a staging location for law enforcement and a coordination center for ongoing operations,” Crow said.
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Crow said he didn't see anything suggesting immigrants would be detained at the base. He said if that were to happen, he'd be concerned about law-abiding immigrants potentially being detained.
“The word mass says they're going to go after a larger category of folks, otherwise law-abiding people,” said Crow. “These are our business owners. These are families. These are mixed-status families, in many cases.”.
Crow said he’d also worry about the impact it would have on military personnel at the base.
“How it would jeopardize the mission here, and how it would pull from resources of the personnel here who are doing the no-fail national security mission,” Crow said.
Immigrants, including children, have been housed at military bases before under both Republican and Democratic presidents, according to the Congressional Research Service.
Following Crow's press conference, Denver7 followed up with base officials to see if there were any plans to bring immigrants there. A spokesperson referred us to ICE.
Steve Kotecki, a spokesperson for ICE in Denver, acknowledged he had received Denver7’s request for information and said he would provide information when he’s able to.
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