By
MAYA SHIMIZU HARRIS/WyoFile
A church, a nonprofit advocacy group and a barbershop are suing the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and its sheriff, Brian Kozak, over its 287(g) agreements with ICE. The lawsuit, filed last month, marks the first time the controversial immigration enforcement contracts have been legally challenged in Wyoming. The first time may not be the last. Wyoming ACLU Senior Staff Attorney Andrew Malone, one of the lawyers representing plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said during a virtual forum Monday that the organization has since turned its attention to other Wyoming agencies with 287(g) contracts. Last week, the ACLU, a nonprofit advocacy organization, sent records requests to the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the other seven counties that have penned agreements with ICE, Malone said. The requests seek information about whether these law enforcement agencies improperly implemented their agreements, as the lawsuit alleges the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office did.
“We don’t know at this time, but it is something that we’re actively looking into,” Malone said.More legal battles could be on the horizon, depending on what the organization finds and how the lawsuit in Laramie County unfolds. “If we get to that point where we get a positive ruling and other counties are deciding that they don’t want to follow the appropriate judge-approved procedure, we would absolutely be considering filing lawsuits elsewhere,” Malone said.
