For over 20 years, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has operated a secret “Hold Room” (ICE Facility Code: GSCHOLD) in the heart of our community at 100 Midland Ave, Suite 210, Glenwood Springs, CO 81601. This is not an administrative office; it is a tactical detention hub that poses multiple risks to the occupants and the community at large.
The clock is ticking ICE’s lease expires on March 31, 2026. This is our window to shut it down. See the original call to action and documents here.
Why This is Illegal?
● A 20-year Legal Vacuum: In 2004, the City issued a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy for “Detention Center” use. It expired on June 12, 2005, and reverted the property to a commercial use. For two decades, ICE has operated without a permanent permit, bypassing all public hearings, safety inspections, and meaningful public notice.
● The “Fire Trap” Violation: This land use violation has real safety risks. The International Building Code (IBC § 308.4) classifies any space where people are locked in and cannot self-evacuate as “Group I-3 Detention”. The people detained in the locked cell in Suite 210 trigger the need for significant mandatory upgrades, including automatic sprinklers, smoke control systems, and 2-hour fire barriers. The ICE Hold Room does not meet the safety standards for a Group 1-3 Detention and poses serious safety risks for detainees, neighbors, and local first responders. For more on what the hold room looks like, click here.
● Zoning Incompatibility: Under Glenwood Springs Municipal Code Title 070, “Institutional” detention facilities are strictly prohibited in Commercial (CO) zones. The Midland Commercial Center is reserved for retail and pedestrian-friendly activity, not secretive federal lock-ups with blacked-out windows.
Call to Action!
Write a Letter to the Editor
Letters to the Editor are one of the most read sections of every newspaper. You can submit a letter on each paper’s website via the links below. When writing a letter to the editor, keep it focused on your perspective about the issue, and ensure you’ve checked your facts. Most papers have tight word limits, so keep your letter concise. Before submitting, get one or two people to read it and provide feedback, so you make sure your words are accurately conveying what you wish to communicate.
Glenwood Springs Post Independent:
Aspen Times:
Aspen Daily News:
The Sopris Sun:
Attend a Glenwood Springs City Council meeting and share public comments
City Council meets the first and third Thursdays of the month at 6:15 p.m. Public comment is towards the beginning and limited to 3 minutes. You can also submit a written comment by emailing it to ryan.muse@cogs.us by 4:00 p.m. the day before the meeting. See the Meeting Calendar with locations and times here. Information about joining via Zoom can be found on meeting agendas, located here.
Visit neighboring businesses in the Midland Center (especially if you’re a client or customer) to share your concerns
The garage bay operates to shield the public and surrounding businesses from seeing detainees being transferred into the center. This means that many business owners in the Midland Center are not aware of what happens in Suite 210. The use of a commercial center for detention impacts the reputation of the surrounding businesses, impacts their insurance and safety, and extends potential liability to them. It appears that ICE has hid behind their minimal administrative use and conveniently kept the detention use under the radar. Businesses are responsive to the concerns of their customers and clients, especially if those concerns cause them to take their business elsewhere. Explain zoning violations (detention is prohibited in a commercial zone), fire safety issues, and the potential liability of the HOA for a fire or other accident. Ask the business owners to complain to the HOA and ask their own questions about the scope of liability and insurance coverage. The HOA Rules and Regulations give them clear grounds to demand action. See below for helpful language that business owners can use when communicating with the HOA.
Make Complains to GWS FIRE and ZONING as well as the LANDLORD, and HOA HERE Scripts and talking points included!
EVICTION IS THE ONLY ANSWER!
If the City or landlord responds to community pressure by promising to come into compliance and apply for a Special Use Permit (SUP), they would fail the City’s mandatory review criteria under Unified Development Code (Title 070).
Incompatibility with Surrounding Land Uses
● The Rule: Any Special Use must be compatible with the existing and allowed uses of surrounding properties.
● The Failure: 100 Midland is surrounded by commercial retail and office spaces. A detention facility, characterized by locks, bars, and secretive transfers, clashes violently with the pedestrian friendly, open-access goals of the Midland Center area.
Adverse Impact on Community Health & Welfare
● The Rule: An applicant must prove the use will not be detrimental to the health, safety, or general welfare of the community.
● The Failure: By “disappearing” residents and creating a climate of fear, this facility actively damages community mental health and social cohesion. Furthermore, the lack of modern fire code compliance poses a direct physical threat to the entire building.
Failure to Meet Comprehensive Plan Goals
● The Rule: All Special Use Permits must be consistent with the goals and policies of the Comprehensive Plan.
● The Failure: As noted above, the facility creates a “leakage” of economic resources out of state and degrades the “small-town character” the Plan is legally mandated to protect.
Economic Extraction vs. Local Benefit
● The Rule: Review often considers whether a project provides a net benefit to the local economy.
● The Failure: Because the contract proceeds are siphoned to an out-of-state corporation (JG Housing Solutions), there is zero positive fiscal impact for Glenwood Springs. We get the danger; they get the check.
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