Federal prosecutors have sided with the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office as a judge considers whether to dismiss a lawsuit that challenges the county’s immigration enforcement agreements with ICE. The dispute — now centered in district court in Cheyenne — raises immediate questions about how much local law enforcement can do on behalf of federal immigration authorities and what that means for communities across Wyoming.
The U.S. Attorney’s office filed a statement of interest backing the sheriff’s use of 287(g) agreements, arguing that cooperative arrangements between federal and local authorities are a key tool in locating and removing people who violate immigration law. The filing, signed by U.S. Attorney Darin Smith, framed such partnerships as routine and important to national enforcement efforts.
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Those federal arguments came while Laramie County District Judge Robin S. Cooley weighed a motion from the sheriff’s legal team to dismiss the case. The lawsuit, brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of a Cheyenne church, a nonprofit and a barbershop, contends the sheriff and his office broke required procedures and exceeded their legal authority when they entered into 287(g) contracts with ICE.
At Monday’s hearing, the sheriff’s attorney, Casper lawyer Amy Iberlin, asked the court to throw out the case on procedural grounds. Iberlin told the judge the plaintiffs failed to comply with notice requirements under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act and therefore lack a viable claim. She also argued the plaintiffs have not shown the sort of direct, legally protected injuries that would give them standing to sue.
The ACLU countered that 287(g) programs act as a “force multiplier” for federal immigration enforcement, allowing local deputies to play an active role that federal agents cannot routinely perform. ACLU attorney Andrew Malone highlighted a case in which a man was stopped for a traffic violation by a sheriff’s deputy and then questioned about his immigration status — an interaction that, the ACLU says, illustrates how local authority changes the landscape of enforcement.
Judge Cooley probed that line of reasoning in court, noting that if local deputies did not hold 287(g) authority, federal immigration agents could still conduct enforcement in the community. The judge did not issue an immediate ruling on the request to dismiss.
- What 287(g) does: Allows state and local officers, under ICE supervision, to perform certain immigration enforcement tasks.
- Who sued: A Cheyenne church, a nonprofit advocacy group and a barbershop, represented by the ACLU.
- Claims: Plaintiffs say the sheriff’s office ignored required procedures and exceeded its authority when entering the agreements.
- Defense: Sheriff’s counsel argues procedural defects under the Wyoming Governmental Claims Act and lack of standing by plaintiffs.
- Federal input: The U.S. Attorney’s office filed a statement saying cooperation with local law enforcement advances federal immigration goals and cited ICE arrest data for the Denver region.
The federal filing included enforcement statistics for the Denver field office — which covers Laramie County — saying ICE arrested more than 2,700 people with criminal convictions between October 2020 and January 2024. It also referenced more recent ICE arrest patterns showing changes in the makeup of those detained, a point the government used to justify continued collaboration with local agencies.
Legal observers say the case could determine how easily counties and municipalities enter into immigration enforcement partnerships, and whether those agreements can be challenged on procedural grounds. If Judge Cooley dismisses the suit on the Governmental Claims Act argument, the ACLU indicated it would likely refile after complying with whatever notice rules the court finds applicable.
For now, the dispute remains unresolved. The ruling — and any subsequent appeals — could influence how other Wyoming counties and similar jurisdictions nationwide balance local policing, community relations and federal immigration priorities.
