Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak has asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging his office’s agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to assist in enforcing immigration laws.

Background

The lawsuit, filed by a church, a nonprofit advocacy group, and a barbershop, claims that the sheriff’s office violated legally required procedures and exceeded its authority when entering into the 287(g) agreements with ICE. The plaintiffs argue that they have suffered financial and other resource burdens as a result of the agreements.

The sheriff’s lawyer, Casper attorney Amy Iberlin, argues that the plaintiffs did not follow notice requirements under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act, making their case ‘fatally defective.’ The lawyer also asserts that the plaintiffs lack standing to sue, as they do not have a sufficient connection to and harm from the contracts.

ICE Agreements

ICE has three types of contracts that allow local and state law enforcement to conduct immigration enforcement: Jail Enforcement, Warrant Service Officer, and Task Force. The Laramie County Sheriff’s Office has all three agreements with ICE and has made over 400 immigration arrests since October.

The ACLU, which represents the plaintiffs, is also seeking information from other Wyoming law enforcement agencies with 287(g) agreements to determine if they made similar mistakes. Depending on what they learn, the ACLU may file more lawsuits.

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