Wyoming Immigration: State Rules vs. Federal Law - and What to Do Here

This article reflects Wyoming law and enforcement conditions as of June 2026. Wyoming has no statewide sanctuary law and has been actively expanding 287(g) participation under Gov. Mark Gordon and the enforcement-aligned Republican majority. Key facts: Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) signed a 287(g) Task Force Model agreement with ICE on July 28, 2025, announced by Gov. Gordon. The Task Force Model authorizes WHP troopers to perform immigration enforcement during routine patrol including traffic stops on Wyoming's highways and roads. Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak signed all three 287(g) agreement types - Jail Enforcement Model (JEM), Warrant Service Officer (WSO), and Task Force Model (TFM) - with 25 deputies sworn in at a formal ceremony on October 1, 2025, in Cheyenne. As of May 2026, seven Wyoming counties and four towns held at least one 287(g) agreement with ICE, in addition to Wyoming Highway Patrol. The towns of Wheatland, Shoshoni, Pine Bluffs, and Moorcroft signed Task Force Model agreements in April 2026. The ACLU of Wyoming filed open records requests with Wyoming Highway Patrol and eight counties in June 2026, seeking proof that agencies complied with required state procedures - public notice, public input, and county commission approval - before entering into 287(g) agreements. A lawsuit against Laramie County Sheriff's Office alleges it failed to follow those mandatory state procedures before entering its agreements. Sweetwater County's correctional facility is one of the few in Wyoming certified to hold ICE detainees for more than 72 hours; federal reimbursement was raised from $61.57 to $120 per adult per day in 2025. Sweetwater County deputies have been transporting ICE detainees from Teton County. Teton County community members launched a petition opposing extended ICE holds without judicial warrants. Wyoming has no long-term dedicated ICE detention facility; detainees are held in county jails before transfer to ICE facilities in neighboring states, primarily through the Denver ICE Field Office. Verify current 287(g) agency list and ACLU litigation status at ACLU of Wyoming (aclu-wy.org) or WyoFile (wyofile.com).

Where Wyoming Stands

Wyoming is a small, predominantly rural, deeply Republican state that has moved quickly and comprehensively toward federal-state enforcement cooperation in 2025-2026. With fewer than 600,000 total residents and a small immigrant population, Wyoming's story is not one of scale but of institutional alignment: state troopers, county sheriffs, and even small-town police departments across the state have signed 287(g) agreements, making Wyoming one of the most thoroughly covered states relative to its size.

The two distinct angles in Wyoming's story are the expansive enforcement cooperation and the procedural legal challenge to how that cooperation was established. The ACLU of Wyoming and associated litigation argue that at least some agencies entered 287(g) agreements without following Wyoming's mandatory state procedures for major policy changes - public notice, public input, and county commission approval. Laramie County, home to Cheyenne and Wyoming's most populous county, is the subject of a lawsuit making this argument. Campbell County has already said it has no records of the required procedures. This is the most distinctive legal angle in Wyoming's story as of June 2026.

Wyoming's immigrant population is small relative to most states in this series but concentrated in specific industries and communities: energy production (Natrona County, Campbell County), hospitality and service industries in tourist communities (Teton County, particularly Jackson Hole), meat processing and agriculture, and construction. Teton County presents an internal contradiction in the state's story - a wealthy, cosmopolitan resort community with a significant immigrant workforce that has actively pushed back on aggressive 287(g) enforcement, while surrounding conservative counties embrace it.

Part 1: What Federal Immigration Law Actually Says

Immigration enforcement is exclusively a federal function under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). The federal government controls who may enter, remain in, and be removed from the United States. State and local governments cannot create their own immigration enforcement systems that conflict with the INA.

The Tenth Amendment anti-commandeering doctrine, established in Printz v. United States (1997), means the federal government cannot compel state and local agencies to enforce federal immigration law. Wyoming's 287(g) agreements are voluntary - Gov. Gordon directed and supported the WHP agreement, and local agencies have independently chosen to join. No Wyoming state law mandates that participation.

Section 287(g) of the INA creates the voluntary delegation mechanism. Laramie County holds all three agreement types: the Task Force Model (TFM), the broadest, authorizing immigration enforcement during routine patrol; the Jail Enforcement Model (JEM), allowing immigration processing of people already in jail on state charges; and the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model, allowing execution of ICE administrative warrants at the jail. Most Wyoming agencies have signed the Task Force Model, which is the most expansive in terms of street-level enforcement authority. The Town of Wheatland, the smallest municipality in this series to hold a Task Force agreement, illustrates how far down the jurisdictional ladder the program has extended in Wyoming.

ICE administrative warrants - Form I-200 or I-205 - are signed by immigration officers, not federal judges. They authorize ICE agents to arrest individuals believed to be deportable, but do not authorize entry into private spaces without consent. Laramie County Sheriff Kozak's stated policy prohibits deputies from entering private property - 'schools, churches, homes, businesses or farms' - solely for immigration enforcement, and prohibits immigration sweeps, limiting immigration inquiries to those arising from other lawful contacts.

Arizona v. United States (2012) is the controlling preemption precedent. Wyoming's 287(g) framework operates within the statutory authorization the INA provides.

Part 2: Wyoming State Law and Enforcement

No Statewide Sanctuary Law and No Mandatory Cooperation Law

Wyoming has no statewide sanctuary law and no statewide mandatory ICE cooperation law as of June 2026. No such law has been needed in Wyoming's political context - Gov. Gordon and the Republican-dominated legislature have been supportive of enforcement expansion, and local agencies have voluntarily joined 287(g) programs. The legal debate in Wyoming is not about whether to cooperate but about whether the procedural requirements of Wyoming state law for major policy changes were followed before entering those agreements.

Wyoming Highway Patrol - Task Force Model (July 28, 2025)

Gov. Mark Gordon announced on July 28, 2025, that the Wyoming Highway Patrol had signed a 287(g) Task Force Model Memorandum of Agreement with ICE. In announcing the agreement, Gov. Gordon stated: 'Wyoming has been firm in our commitment to helping secure the border, and this is another step in that process.' The Denver ICE Field Office Director described the WHP agreement as 'a great force multiplier' for ICE officers in Wyoming. The Task Force Model authorizes WHP troopers to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE's oversight during their regular duties. Any traffic stop or routine patrol encounter with a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper is a potential immigration enforcement encounter under the Task Force agreement.

Laramie County Sheriff - All Three Models (October 1, 2025)

Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak formalized his office's 287(g) participation with a swearing-in ceremony at the Historic Courthouse in Cheyenne on October 1, 2025. Twenty-five Laramie County Sheriff's Office deputies, along with Sheriff Kozak, were sworn in by the ICE Denver Field Office Director. Laramie County signed all three agreement types: Jail Enforcement Model, Warrant Service Officer, and Task Force Model. The majority of deputies were trained under the Task Force Model, which Sheriff Kozak described as intended for use in drug and human trafficking interdiction during roadside operations. U.S. Attorney Darin Smith praised the agreement, stating: 'Criminal illegal aliens are now on notice: Don't set up shop in Wyoming.'

The ACLU of Wyoming has raised concerns about the Laramie County agreement specifically, and a lawsuit alleges the Sheriff's Office failed to follow mandatory Wyoming state procedures - public notice, public input, and county commission approval - before entering the agreements. The lawsuit was pending as of June 2026.

Seven Counties, Four Towns - Statewide Expansion

As of May 2026, seven Wyoming counties and four Wyoming towns held at least one 287(g) agreement with ICE, in addition to Wyoming Highway Patrol. The four towns - Wheatland, Shoshoni, Pine Bluffs, and Moorcroft - all signed Task Force Model agreements in April 2026, demonstrating that the program has expanded to very small municipalities in Wyoming. Natrona County (Casper) has received $137,500 in stipends from ICE for IT and equipment costs, illustrating the financial incentives accompanying participation. WyoFile's May 2026 collaborative investigative report, produced by five Wyoming news organizations, documented this expansion and the community responses it has generated, including protests in Rock Springs and Cheyenne.

Sweetwater County - Extended Detention Certification

Sweetwater County's correctional facility is one of the few county jails in Wyoming certified to hold ICE detainees for more than 72 hours. The federal reimbursement rate for adult ICE detainees in Wyoming county jails was raised from $61.57 to $120 per person per day in 2025. Most Wyoming county jails hold ICE detainees only for 48 or 72 hours before transfer. Sweetwater County has been receiving ICE detainee transfers from Teton County, where community members launched a petition opposing extended holds without judicial warrants and transfers to immigration custody following arrests for minor offenses.

Teton County - Community Opposition

Teton County, home to Jackson Hole and one of the most economically prosperous counties in the country, has a large immigrant workforce in its hospitality, construction, and service industries. Community members in Teton County launched a petition opposing extended ICE holds without judicial warrants and the transfer of individuals to immigration custody following arrests for minor offenses. Sweetwater County deputies have been transporting Teton County ICE detainees to Sweetwater County's longer-term certified facility. Teton County represents the sharpest internal variation in Wyoming's enforcement landscape - a community whose economy depends on immigrant labor in tension with the statewide enforcement posture.

ACLU Wyoming - Open Records Requests and Litigation (June 2026)

In June 2026, the ACLU of Wyoming submitted open records requests to Wyoming Highway Patrol and eight counties that signed 287(g) agreements with ICE, seeking documentation that the agencies followed required Wyoming state procedures before entering those agreements. Under Wyoming state law, major policy changes affecting elected offices must go through processes that include public notice, public input, and county commission approval. The ACLU's requests sought any records showing that those procedures were followed. Campbell County had already stated it has no relevant records of those procedures. A separate lawsuit against Laramie County Sheriff's Office alleges it unilaterally entered its 287(g) agreements without complying with the mandatory state procedures. This procedural litigation was pending as of June 2026. Verify its status at aclu-wy.org or WyoFile.

Part 3: How State and Federal Law Interact in Wyoming

Wyoming's enforcement framework is structurally simpler than most states in this series: political alignment between the governor, the legislature, and most local officials means there is no state-federal conflict and no internal political resistance at the state level. The legal challenges that do exist in Wyoming operate on a different axis - not state-versus-federal, but a question of whether Wyoming's own procedural requirements for local government policy changes were followed before 287(g) agreements were signed.

The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, which covers Wyoming, has addressed Fourth Amendment issues related to civil detainer compliance in ways consistent with the general national framework: civil detainers are administrative requests, not court orders, and detention solely on a civil detainer without independent legal authority raises constitutional concerns. Laramie County Sheriff Kozak's stated policy - inquiring about immigration status only after lawful contact, not conducting sweeps, not entering private property solely for immigration enforcement - attempts to operate within this constitutional framework.

Federal enforcement in Wyoming operates through the Denver ICE Field Office, which covers Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, Kansas, and New Mexico. Wyoming's small population and large geographic area mean federal agents rely heavily on the 287(g) force multiplier effect of state and local cooperation - one reason both the state and federal government have been enthusiastic about the program's Wyoming expansion.

Part 4: What This Means for Families on the Ground

For immigrant families in Wyoming, the statewide Task Force agreement with the Wyoming Highway Patrol is the most significant practical enforcement change: any traffic stop on any Wyoming road with a state trooper is a potential immigration enforcement encounter. Wyoming is a large state with major Interstate highways - I-25, I-80, I-90 - crossing its major population centers. Routine highway travel carries enforcement risk.

In Laramie County (Cheyenne), Natrona County (Casper), and other counties with Task Force 287(g) agreements, routine encounters with county deputies also carry immigration enforcement risk. In the four towns that signed Task Force agreements in April 2026 - Wheatland, Shoshoni, Pine Bluffs, and Moorcroft - local police have the same authority.

Teton County's community opposition to aggressive enforcement has not resulted in that county declining 287(g) agreements, but detainees from Teton County are being transported to Sweetwater County for extended holds. For workers in Jackson Hole and the Jackson area, the enforcement risk from county-level encounters exists even though the community has expressed opposition.

The ACLU's procedural challenge to the 287(g) agreements - asking whether Wyoming's state procedures were followed - is worth monitoring. If courts find that agreements were entered without required procedural steps, some agreements could be invalidated. This would not end enforcement but could require agencies to restart the agreement process with public involvement.

Part 5: What You Can Actually Do

If Stopped by Wyoming Highway Patrol or County Deputies with 287(g) Authority

Wyoming Highway Patrol troopers and county deputies in 287(g) Task Force counties have immigration enforcement authority during traffic stops. Provide your driver's license, registration, and proof of insurance when stopped. Wyoming does not have a standard driver's license or driving privilege card available regardless of immigration status. You have the right to remain silent on immigration matters. Say: 'I am exercising my right to remain silent on immigration matters.'

Laramie County Sheriff's policy prohibits deputies from entering private property solely for immigration enforcement and prohibits immigration sweeps, limiting immigration inquiries to lawful contacts. You can note this policy if asked to open your vehicle or answer immigration questions beyond what arose from the traffic stop purpose.

If ICE Comes to Your Home

Do not open the door. ICE cannot legally enter a home without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. An administrative warrant, Form I-200 or I-205, is signed by an immigration officer, not a judge, and does not authorize home entry. Ask through the closed door: 'Is this warrant signed by a judge?' If not, say clearly that you do not consent to entry.

You have the right to remain silent. Say: 'I am exercising my right to remain silent. I want to speak with a lawyer.' Do not sign anything without speaking with an attorney.

If a Family Member Is Detained

Use the ICE Online Detainee Locator at locator.ice.gov immediately. Wyoming has no purpose-built long-term ICE detention facility. Most county jails hold ICE detainees for 48-72 hours. Sweetwater County can hold for longer. Transfers to ICE facilities in Colorado and neighboring states occur through the Denver ICE Field Office.

Call the ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024.

Call the EOIR Immigration Court Information Line: 1-800-898-7180.

Contact the ACLU of Wyoming: aclu-wy.org. The ACLU of Wyoming is actively investigating 287(g) agreements statewide and filed litigation challenging procedural compliance.

Contact the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (WCADVSA): wcadvsa.org. Provides resources for immigrant survivors of violence in Wyoming.

Contact Wyoming Immigrant Rights (WIRA) or legal aid organizations through the Wyoming State Bar Referral Service: wyomingbar.org.

Know the Risk Points in Wyoming

Wyoming Highway Patrol holds a Task Force 287(g) agreement. Every WHP traffic stop on every Wyoming road carries potential immigration enforcement risk.

Seven counties and four towns hold Task Force agreements as of May 2026. Verify current agreements at ice.gov or aclu-wy.org.

Laramie County has all three agreement types and 25 Task Force-certified deputies. Sheriff's stated policy prohibits sweeps and private property entry solely for immigration enforcement.

Sweetwater County can hold ICE detainees for longer than 72 hours. Most other Wyoming county jails are limited to 48-72 hour holds before transfer.

ACLU Wyoming litigation challenges whether required state procedures were followed before 287(g) agreements were signed. Monitor status at aclu-wy.org.

Part 6: Legal Resources in Wyoming

ACLU of Wyoming: aclu-wy.org. Tracking 287(g) agreements, open records requests, and litigation on procedural compliance.

Wyoming State Bar Lawyer Referral Service: wyomingbar.org. Referrals for immigration legal help.

Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (WCADVSA): wcadvsa.org. Resources for immigrant survivors.

Rocky Mountain Immigrant Advocacy Network (RMIAN): rmian.org. Colorado-based but serves Wyoming immigrants, particularly detainees at Colorado ICE facilities.

WyoFile: wyofile.com. Best current-status investigative reporting on Wyoming 287(g) expansion and community impacts.

Immigration Advocates Network: immigrationadvocates.org.

EOIR Immigration Court Information Line: 1-800-898-7180.

ICE Detainee Locator: locator.ice.gov.

ICE Detention Reporting and Information Line: 1-888-351-4024.

Summary

Wyoming has no statewide sanctuary law and has embraced 287(g) participation broadly under Gov. Gordon and an enforcement-aligned political consensus. Wyoming Highway Patrol signed a Task Force 287(g) agreement on July 28, 2025, making all WHP highway traffic stops potential immigration enforcement encounters. Laramie County Sheriff signed all three 287(g) types with 25 Task Force-certified deputies sworn in October 1, 2025. As of May 2026, seven counties and four towns hold at least one 287(g) agreement, including Task Force Model agreements with the small towns of Wheatland, Shoshoni, Pine Bluffs, and Moorcroft. Sweetwater County is certified for extended ICE holds beyond 72 hours, at $120 per day.

The distinctive legal challenge in Wyoming as of June 2026 is not state-versus-federal conflict but internal: the ACLU of Wyoming filed open records requests with eight counties and WHP in June 2026, seeking proof that mandatory Wyoming state procedures - public notice, public input, county commission approval - were followed before 287(g) agreements were signed. Campbell County said it has no records of those procedures. A lawsuit against Laramie County Sheriff's Office alleges it failed to follow the required procedures. That litigation was pending as of June 2026. For families in Wyoming, highway patrol stops and county deputy encounters carry immigration enforcement risk across most of the state. Contact ACLU of Wyoming for current agreement status and litigation updates.

Sources and verification: Governor Gordon press release, 'Governor Gordon Formalizes Wyoming Highway Patrol Agreement with ICE for Immigration Enforcement,' July 28, 2025 (governor.wyo.gov; Task Force Model; ICE Denver Field Office Director Guadian quote; Gordon quote); WyoFile collaborative report, 'Here's How Wyoming Communities Cooperate with ICE,' May 1, 2026 (wyofile.com; seven counties, four towns with at least one 287(g) agreement; Wheatland, Shoshoni, Pine Bluffs, Moorcroft signed Task Force Model April 2026; protests in Rock Springs and Cheyenne; Natrona County $137,500 in stipends; Sweetwater County extended hold certification; $61.57 to $120 per day rate increase 2025; Sweetwater County transporting Teton County detainees; Teton County community petition; Task Force quote from Natrona County response); Wyoming News, 'Not a Sanctuary State: ICE Inducts 25 LCSO Deputies to Enforce Immigration,' October 8, 2025 (wyomingnews.com; October 1, 2025 ceremony; Sheriff Kozak; 25 deputies; U.S. Attorney Darin Smith quote; all three agreement types; TFM majority; drug and human trafficking interdiction purpose; Kozak policy statement on private property, sweeps, lawful contacts only; ACLU Wyoming letter on community trust); Wyoming News Now, 'ACLU Asks Wyoming Law Enforcement for 287(g) Agreement in Open Records,' approximately June 2026 (wyomingnewsnow.tv; ACLU open records requests to WHP and eight counties; required state procedures: public notice, public input, county commission approval; Campbell County no relevant records; Laramie County lawsuit allegation; Andrew Malone ACLU Wyoming senior staff attorney quote); Arizona v. United States, 567 U.S. 387 (2012); Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997). Volatile items requiring verification: Current number of Wyoming 287(g) agreements (7 counties, 4 towns, WHP as of May 2026; list growing; verify at ice.gov or aclu-wy.org); ACLU Wyoming open records and litigation status (filed June 2026; pending as of June 2026; verify at aclu-wy.org); Laramie County lawsuit status (pending as of June 2026); Sweetwater County ICE hold terms; any new town or county agreements since May 2026. Last verified: June 2026.