A shared culture of self-reliance. Hard work. Neighborly kindness.
In Wyoming, we respect each other’s freedoms while looking out for people when they’re in need.
But in communities across the state, local law enforcement officials have been sending an unmistakable message: Your friends and neighbors could be a target.
As the federal government continues to ramp up Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, local law enforcement agencies are increasingly being pressured to assist with these efforts – and they’re using 287(g) agreements to do so. These voluntary agreements create partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement, use taxpayer dollars and county personnel to serve the federal government’s deportation agenda, and deputize Wyoming officers to act as immigration agents.
Right now, seven Wyoming counties, the Wyoming Highway Patrol and four towns have one or more 287(g) agreements with ICE.
But “agreements” is a bit misleading.
These 287(g) agreements are formal contracts with the federal government that redirect local law enforcement officials to enforce federal immigration laws during the course of their normal work instead of focusing on local priorities.
And government contracts demand oversight – something we didn’t get in Laramie County. Sheriff Brian Kozak signed these contracts without the authorization of the Laramie County Commission, the county’s elected governing body. He also failed to comply with the Wyoming Administrative Procedure Act’s rulemaking process that would have ensured that the community had an opportunity to comment on the contracts before they were adopted as county policy. There was no public hearing, no opportunity for Laramie County community members to weigh in on a decision that reshapes our community and how we treat our neighbors.
That’s unacceptable – which is why the ACLU of Wyoming filed a lawsuit challenging Laramie County’s 287(g) agreements.
When it comes to decisions like this that affect our communities, Wyomingites deserve a transparent, democratic process. We trust our local officials to be accountable to the people they represent and to follow the law. Kozak knows this. He’s gotten the approval of the County Commission on many other initiatives in the past. For instance, last year, before entering into an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service – a federal agency like ICE – Kozak drafted a memo to the County Commissioners and asked them to approve the contract in accordance with state law. So why didn’t that happen here?
Appropriate oversight and community input are vital to a functioning democracy – especially when decisions harm our neighbors, family members and friends.
Under Laramie County’s 287(g) program, our local law enforcement officers have been transformed into ICE force multipliers. More and more, their already-limited time and resources are being focused on federal immigration enforcement, not local public safety needs. During one week in April, for example, the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office made more immigration arrests through 287(g) than any other local or state law enforcement agency in the country. And of the 53 immigration arrests that week, only three of the people arrested had local charges or prior misdemeanors.
This sharp increase in immigration enforcement by local officers is changing the way communities live – across the county, the fear of family separation is real. People avoid going to work, taking children to school, seeking medical treatment or interacting with police or the government entirely, even when they are the victims or witnesses of crimes like domestic violence and sexual assault. Is this how we want to live in Laramie County?
Our local government officials are “real people,” after all – not professional politicians. They’re our neighbors. And good neighbors should be looking out for the best interests of everyone who calls Wyoming home, not unilaterally signing agreements that fundamentally change how our local law enforcement works.
At a time when reactionary federal anti-immigration officials assume that they can act with impunity to implement a chaotic, sweeping and cruel agenda targeting immigrants across the United States and right here in Wyoming, it’s critical to send a message that nobody is above the law. Sheriff Kozak is no exception.
Strong, safe communities are built on mutual respect and trust – not ripped apart by a flawed, inhumane and arbitrary immigration agenda. Instead of enacting policies that stoke fear and divide our communities, our law enforcement leaders should be protecting everyone, including our immigrant neighbors and loved ones. That is the Wyoming we love.
A version of this op-ed also appeared in the Wyoming Tribune Eagle.
