ACLU sues Albany County sheriff over ICE immigration cooperation

A lawsuit over Laramie County’s three immigration agreements with federal authorities could reach far beyond Cheyenne and into Albany County’s jail operations, deputy workload and legal bills. If the American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming wins, local agencies that cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement could face tighter limits on how they handle detainees and immigration holds. If the sheriff and state side prevails, county leaders across Wyoming may have more room to expand ICE cooperation.

The ACLU filed the case against the Laramie County Sheriff’s Office and Sheriff Brian Kozak, arguing the agency did not follow Wyoming law when it signed three 287(g) agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The lawsuit is the first legal challenge to Wyoming’s controversial 287(g) arrangements and has already drawn attention from state agencies watching how far those contracts can go.

At the center of the dispute is a program created under section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Federal law allows ICE to delegate certain immigration-enforcement functions to state and local officers, and the ACLU says that arrangement effectively turns local law enforcement into ICE agents. The group argues the contracts can lead to racial profiling, civil-rights abuses and a diversion of local police resources away from ordinary county policing.

Wyoming’s Legislature sharpened the backdrop in 2025 with HB0133, a law that prohibits sanctuary policies by cities, towns, counties and the state and creates a new felony offense tied to those policies. That leaves county officials in a difficult position: state law pushes against sanctuary protections, while the ACLU says federal immigration contracts can cross the line into unlawful enforcement.

For Albany County, the outcome could shape future decisions by the sheriff’s office, the county attorney and jail staff about whether to enter any ICE agreement at all, and if so, how much involvement deputies can have. A ruling against the Laramie County deal could prompt counties to revisit training, recordkeeping, transport practices and detention procedures. It could also bring additional legal costs if counties have to defend similar contracts or rewrite policies after the fact.

After filing the lawsuit, the ACLU of Wyoming said it was looking into other Wyoming agencies with 287(g) contracts. The group sent public records requests to the Wyoming Highway Patrol and the seven counties that have signed agreements with ICE to examine how those contracts are being carried out. The group has also planned a virtual community forum to answer questions about the lawsuit and explain what the agreements mean for local government authority.

The fight now unfolding in Wyoming is about more than one sheriff’s office in Laramie County. For counties such as Albany, it could decide whether cooperation with ICE remains a narrow law-enforcement tool or becomes a broader and more costly part of local government.