Laramie County Sheriff Reports 538 Immigration Arrests in First Year of 287(g) Program, Touts Record-Low Crime
The Laramie County Sheriff's Office in Wyoming released figures this week marking the first year of its 287(g) immigration enforcement agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement: under Sheriff Brian Kozak, deputies have made 538 arrests for federal immigration violations since the office joined the program in October 2025. Spokesman Brandon Warner said all arrests originated from traffic stops where state laws had been violated.
Kozak said the office audited every 287(g) arrest, reviewing camera footage and reports from each stop to make sure deputies were fully compliant with policy and that every stop had a verified basis in Wyoming state law. Deputies may not conduct immigration inquiries during routine calls, and only 1.1% of the office's 45,000 calls in the past year involved immigration enforcement, the release said.
The program followed complaints about unlicensed, unsafe and undocumented commercial truck drivers using county roads to bypass state ports of entry. The release said crime in unincorporated areas has dropped to record lows, with property crime 67% below the national average. Kozak also backed federal accountability for businesses exploiting undocumented labor and bipartisan efforts to expedite visas for crime victims and witnesses who assist law enforcement.
ACLU of Wyoming Executive Director Libby Skarin responded that the figures "fail to tell the full story of the Wyoming families whose lives have been disrupted and torn apart by 287(g) agreements." The ACLU and others have sued Kozak over the operations; one case was dismissed in August for lack of standing and appealed in September, while lawyers for a man detained in an April traffic stop are seeking further documents under a 10-day deadline. Kozak, a Republican, faces Democrat Robin Cozad in the November 3 election.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 怀俄明州议会大厦（Cheyenne），Decumanus 摄，CC BY-SA 3.0，经 Wikimedia Commons 取得并自托管
