Some town and county leaders say they would sign onto a formal resolution supporting Jackson Hole’s immigrant community.
Advocates are asking for the resolution – similar to a measure approved in Durango, Colorado — as federal agents continue to steadily remove those without proper paperwork from the Teton County jail. About 200 have been removed from March 2025 to early August, according to Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr. Most were first arrested for driving-related offenses, a May KHOL analysis found.
Foreign-born residents make up about 14% of Teton County’s population. Many more travel to the county daily from surrounding areas for work. The share of Latino residents is estimated closer to 30%.
A show of support could put a target on the region from Republican lawmakers at the state and federal level, as well as leaders of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE has targeted counties in Minneapolis and Chicago where sheriffs declined broad access to inmates subject to deportation.
But organizer Emily Gomez said the statement is worth the risk.
“Those concerns are valid and I believe need to be discussed. But silence is not keeping immigrants in this community safe either,” she said. “ICE can be here tomorrow.”
The Wyoming Immigrant Advocacy Project director is working with other community leaders to push the resolution. Jackson Mayor Arne Jorgensen said he supports the effort.
“We need to be supportive of nearly a third of our community, hard stop,” he said. “There might be some work to do to educate — whether it’s at an agency level, like ICE, or whether at a political level, like other officials — and let’s do that work, rather than not do the action because we’re afraid of what might be.”
The request comes as county commissioners mull two bids for outside consultants to review the sheriff’s immigration enforcement. Commission Chair Mark Newcomb said he supports the idea of a resolution but also respects the “jurisdiction and authority” of Sheriff Carr.
“I would want to support it, but I do want to read it first before I really commit to it,” Newcomb said.
Commissioner Wes Gardner said he initially worried a resolution would increase the risk of deportations and controversy in Teton County. But his thoughts changed when he spoke with Latino friends and coworkers.
“There’s a whole community of folks here who don’t feel like they belong,” he said. “They just feel like they’re a commodity. And they’re not; they’re people, they are friends and neighbors, and by not doing anything, we’re doing something,” Gardner said.
Supporters of the resolution plan to bring the matter to commissioners early next week.
