Colorado delegation hits ICE roadblocks during Aurora visit

Members of Colorado's Democratic congressional delegation say a visit to Aurora's ICE detention facility on Monday left them with more questions than answers.

The big picture: U.S. Reps. Jason Crow, Diana DeGette, Joe Neguse and Brittany Pettersen say the Trump administration continues to obstruct their ability to conduct oversight.

State of play: The members gave seven days' notice before their Monday visit — a trip that drew heightened scrutiny due to an ongoing lawsuit filed by Crow and Neguse, who allege the administration unlawfully blocked previous congressional visits.

Friction point: Crow, whose 6th Congressional District includes Aurora, says the delegation's most pressing question is what percentage of people detained have criminal backgrounds, a figure he says the facility staff did not provide.

• Arrests of noncriminals are rising sharply under Trump's deportation surge, which started after he took office in January.
• The facility has about 1,200 detainees, Crow says, which is close to its average, though staff did not provide an exact number.

Context: During intake, people are classified by colors to designate their security risk, Crow tells us — suggesting ICE knows how many detainees do and do not have criminal backgrounds.

• ICE is now requiring members of Congress to sign a privacy release before speaking with a detainee, which DeGette characterized as another way the administration is "stopping" lawmakers from visiting detainees.