Wyoming House kills bill that would have mandated local police partnerships with ICE

Several other bills aimed at immigrants could still be signed into law.
John Bear (R)-Wyoming. (BillTrack50)

by | Feb 4, 2025 | Immigration

Wyoming police and sheriffs will not be required to work with federal agencies on immigration enforcement. 

After a tie-breaker vote last week by Representative John Bear, former chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, HB 276 died in the House Appropriations Committee. It would have forced local law enforcement into becoming de facto immigration enforcers by requiring they enter an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

HB 276 is just one, though, of around eight immigration-related bills out of over 500 filed this legislative session in Cheyenne. 

Wyoming’s push to crackdown on immigrants mirrors efforts at the federal level under President Trump, who recently signed the Riley Laken Act into law, which will make it easier to deport undocumented immigrants for petty crimes. 

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A bill that would invalidate drivers licenses granted to undocumented immigrants in other states, passed a third and final reading in the House Jan. 23 with all three Teton County representatives voting against the bill. 

A bill that would ban “sanctuary cities” and counties in Wyoming and add penalties for local officials passed a third and final reading in the House 51-6 with five absent. Teton County Reps. Liz Storer and Mike Yin were two of the six ‘nay’ votes while Rep. Andrew Byron voted for the bill. No jurisdiction has ever sought the designation.

For HB 276, it was Wyoming’s law enforcement that wanted the bill dead. 

The Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police Executive Director, Allen Thompson, testified before the committee and urged legislators to oppose the bill. 

Currently, only 77 sheriffs offices out of the over 3,000 departments in the United States have agreements with ICE. 

“There is a reason for that,” Thompson said. “And, it’s not because we somehow support illegal immigration.” 

Thompson stressed that the agreement would come with a financial commitment to ICE that would stretch local police resources thin in the midst of shrinking budgets on the horizon.

“The sheriffs wholeheartedly support the message of this bill, but have serious concerns about the ability to provide yet another enhanced service by entering into these contracts,” Thompson said.

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About Jenna McMurtry

Jenna McMurtry joins KHOL from Silverthorne, Colorado where she picked up radio at the state’s NPR affiliate Colorado Public Radio. Before making the move to Jackson, she briefly called California home while attending Pomona College and studying History. Outside the newsroom, she’s probably out earning her turns on the skin track, listening to live music or working on an art project.

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