ACLU’s Public Records Requests Show Some County Authorizations Regarding 287(g) Program Missing, Laws Inconsistently Applied Across Wyoming

The ACLU of Wyoming has discovered that official authorization of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement contracts from county governing boards vary widely among Wyoming counties with active 287(g) agreements.

In response to public record requests, the ACLU of Wyoming has discovered:

• Campbell, Hot Springs, Lincoln and Natrona counties were unable to produce any records showing that the agreements had been considered or approved by the county commissioners before they were adopted by their sheriffs.
• Carbon County Commission officially sanctioned the decision to participate in the 287(g) program after being presented with information from Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken in 2025
• In Crook County, records show that in 1998, the board of commissioners adopted a resolution granting the county sheriff the authority to enter into agreements with other law enforcement agencies.
• And in early July 2026, the Sweetwater County Commission passed a resolution retroactively ratifying all agreements former Sheriff John Grossnickle unilaterally entered into with ICE since 2020.

These details follow the ACLU’s public records requests with seven counties – each of which has one or more active 287(g) agreements with ICE – regarding the decision-making process behind the signing of the contracts with ICE. The ACLU is also seeking records showing that the counties and the Wyoming Highway Patrol complied with the rulemaking process in the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act before entering into the 287(g) agreements.

None of the counties or the Wyoming Highway Patrol have records of WAPA compliance.

The following statement can be attributed to Andrew Malone, ACLU of Wyoming senior staff attorney:

“Across Wyoming, 287(g) contracts with ICE have fundamentally changed how our local law enforcement agencies operate. By prioritizing federal immigration enforcement, these agreements erode trust in local law enforcement, deter immigrant families from coming forward when they are victims of crime and divert law enforcement resources away from public safety priorities.

 

“When it comes to decisions that affect our communities so drastically like this, Wyomingites deserve a transparent, democratic process. But that hasn’t happened. Instead, laws have been applied inconsistently across the state. In fact, the only thing we’ve found that’s been consistent is the fact that no one held a notice or comment period as required by the Wyoming Administrative Procedures Act.

 

“It’s clear that sheriffs are acting without clear guidance on what is required by state law before they can formally partner with ICE via 287(g) agreements. This is unacceptable. As the highest elected law enforcement officer in the county, sheriffs must be held accountable to their communities.”

The public records requests are part of the ACLU’s campaign to end 287(g) agreements in Wyoming and are tied to the filing of a lawsuit challenging Laramie County’s 287(g) agreements with ICE. Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak signed the contracts without the authorization of the Laramie County Commission. 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.

The ACLU of Wyoming will be in court on Monday, July 27, to address the motion to dismiss the case from the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office. The hearing will take place at 10 a.m. before Judge Robin Cooley in the First Judicial District Court at the Laramie County Government Complex, 309 W. 20th St., Cheyenne.

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About the ACLU of Wyoming
The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming is a chapter and program of the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, a non-partisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to the preservation and enhancement of civil liberties and civil rights.

The ACLU believes freedoms of press, speech, assembly, and religion, and the rights to due process, equal protection and privacy, are fundamental to a free people. In addition, the ACLU seeks to advance constitutional protections for groups traditionally denied their rights, including people of color, women and LGBTQ+ and Two Spirit communities. The ACLU of Wyoming carries out its work through selective litigation, lobbying at the state and local level and through public education and awareness of what the Bill of Rights means for the people of Wyoming.