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Human Impact Project

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Man with dementia released from ICE detention, lost for hours in Denver

May 11, 2026 · Aurora, CO, Cuba

Man with dementia released from ICE detention, lost for hours in Denver

William Ortiz-Rivera, a man in his 70s with dementia, was released from the Aurora ICE Processing Center before 8 a.m. on May 11 without notifying his attorney or Casa de Paz, a local immigration advocacy organization that regularly assists people released from the facility. He boarded a bus and ended up in downtown Denver, miles from his senior living home, where he was lost for five hours in 83-degree weather with minimal money and possessions. Casa de Paz demands ICE coordinate releases with support organizations and release detainees during appropriate daytime hours, stating the facility has previously notified them of vulnerable individuals being released.

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