Wyoming joins forces with ICE to address illegal immigration crisis

State officials in Wyoming are implementing a plan to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to address the ongoing illegal immigration crisis.

Last week, Governor Mark Gordon (R) announced that the Wyoming Highway Patrol entered into an agreement to join ICE's 287(g) program, which allows non-federal agencies to "enforce certain aspects of U.S. immigration law."

'The contribution to public safety is significant, and it leverages ICE's limited resources here in Wyoming.'

Under ICE's oversight, WHP officers will be authorized to "perform specified immigration officer functions."

Gordon called the new agreement "another step" in Wyoming's commitment to assisting with securing the border.

He stated, "Our nation's security depends upon effective immigration enforcement, and I am proud that our Wyoming Highway Patrol continues to support this effort and is now formalizing their commitment to this work through our agreement with ICE."

Robert Guadian, the Denver Field Officer director for ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations, called the program "a great force multiplier for my ICE officers in Wyoming."

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Photographer: Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images

"I applaud the governor for joining with us to keep Wyoming communities safe," Guadian said.

WHP agreed to participate in the program's Task Force Model, which "allows your officers to enforce limited immigration authority while performing routine police duties," according to ICE's website.

"An ICE supervisor determines next steps. These officers may also exercise limited immigration authority as active participants on ICE-led task forces," it notes.

Gordon explained that the WHP is preparing a "phased rollout" of the model that will allow local officers to receive free ICE training and access the agency's databases.

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Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon. Photographer: Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images

WHP Administrator Col. Tim Cameron stated, "Our troopers are uniquely positioned to support immigration enforcement through our daily operations along Wyoming's interstates — key corridors for cross-country travel that are sometimes exploited for unlawful activity. The 287(g) agreement enhances our ability to identify individuals in violation of federal immigration law and take appropriate action under ICE's direction."

"This partnership strengthens public safety, expands our access to federal resources and intelligence, and reinforces the strong working relationships we maintain with local law enforcement," he added.

Cameron told WyoFile that the department's limited rollout will begin by enrolling only one to two troopers each from Laramie, Carbon, Sweetwater, Natrona, and Campbell Counties in ICE's training.

"This is not every trooper, it is not carte blanche, you are not an immigration officer," Cameron explained. "It gives you very specific and limited authority to perform very specific functions under ICE's direction."

"The contribution to public safety is significant, and it leverages ICE's limited resources here in Wyoming," he told the news outlet.

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