The federal government has thrown its support behind the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office’s immigration work as a judge considers a request to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the office’s federal 287(g) immigration enforcement agreements.

Background

The lawsuit, filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), accuses Sheriff Brian Kozak and his office of violating legally required procedures and exceeding their legal authority when entering into the contracts. The plaintiffs have suffered financial and other resource burdens as a result, the complaint states.

The federal government “regularly” works with “state and local governments” to enforce immigration laws, according to a statement of interest filed in Laramie County District Court. This cooperation enables the federal government to find and remove “hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants who violate immigration laws (and other laws) each year.”

Immigration Enforcement

Between October 2020 and January 2024, ICE arrested more than 2,700 “convicted criminals” in its Denver area of responsibility, which includes Laramie County. Most of those arrests occurred during the Biden administration. Immigration arrests have surged during the second Trump administration.

The ACLU argues that the 287(g) agreements are a “force multiplier,” and that ICE currently doesn’t possess the resources to have a constant presence in the community like sheriff’s deputies do. However, the sheriff’s office contends that the plaintiffs didn’t follow notice requirements under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, making their case “fatally defective.”

Laramie County District Judge Robin S. Cooley questioned how the 287(g) agreements could be blamed for causing injury, given that if the sheriff’s office didn’t have 287(g) agreements with ICE, then federal agents themselves might instead be in the community enforcing immigration.

Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.