AURORA, Colo. — Around the start of the summer, Denver7 Investigates started receiving phone calls from concerned relatives of immigrants detained in Aurora, saying their loved ones are no longer able to call them free of charge. In the following months, we began digging into these concerns to find out what changed.
In early August, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) revealed the agency is no longer paying for phone calls for immigrants detained in facilities.
The change came with the end of the pandemic. During the COVID-19 health emergency, ICE provided 520 phone minutes per month for each person at no cost. At the time, in-person visitations were not permitted.
Denver7 Investigates met Liliana Campos outside of the Aurora ICE Processing Center. She told us she was there to add money to an account for her loved one to make phone calls.
“That is the only communication they have with their families outside. He used those calls to talk to his wife and children and encourage himself because every day he knew that they were fine," said Campos, in Spanish.
On any given week, about one-third to half of people detained at the facility are there on immigration violations alone, but the rest are typically facing other serious charges, according to an ICE spokesperson.
Several other people leaving the facility told us similar statements.
“We have families and to be trying to put money on their books and just support your family is kind of hard," said Esperanza Hernandez.
Ricardo Basitdas, originally from Venezuela, was visiting his sister-in-law.
“Those people who are in here… They are human beings and really, they need to be communicating with their families," Bastidas said.
A statement from ICE pointed to the high price that accompanied the free minutes, and the agency's ongoing financial struggle.
Full statement:
"During the COVID-19 public health emergency, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement followed CDC guidelines to protect those in our custody including by pausing in-person visitation. To ensure noncitizens could still visit with their families, loved ones, and attorneys, the agency paid for 520 phone minutes per month for each person — at no cost to those in custody. It was the right thing to do at the time.
Since the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, the agency has reinstated in-person visitations, expanded its Virtual Attorney Visitation system, and continued to provide free access to pro bono legal services through tablets, as appropriated by the Congress. At the same time, the agency responded to significant fiscal challenges by reducing or avoiding custody costs, including by saving $10.2 million by ending the 520 free phone minutes. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement would gladly reinstate the 520 minutes calling program with adequate appropriated funds — but unfortunately, funding is a continued struggle, and the limited funds available are needed to carry out our congressionally mandated mission."
According to ICE, all "detained noncitizens" can still call "specific governmental, nongovernmental and pro bono entities through ICE’s pro bono platform" for free.
Some immigration advocates say the 520 free minutes are worth funding.
“Visitation does work for some families, but some families have to travel a very long distance in order to get into a detention center to visit someone… So it can be very costly in that way," said Jordan Garcia, the Colorado office program director for the American Friends Service Committee.
ICE said immigrants detained in the facilities are still able to call their attorneys for free.
