Thursday, April 23, 2026 |
Photo – Sheriff’s badge over county map – Bigfoot99 file photo
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office can now transfer individuals with immigration detainers from the county jail to federal custody.
During yesterday’s Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting in Encampment, Sheriff Alex Bakken presented a memorandum of understanding between his department and federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Sheriff Bakken explained that when an illegal immigrant commits a crime in Carbon County, they are taken to the county jail, where ICE places a 48‑hour hold. Federal agents then have two days to take the individual into custody.
The memorandum of understanding, or MOU, will allow the Sheriff’s Office to participate in the federal 287(g) program, which permits ICE to delegate limited immigration‑enforcement authority to state and local agencies. Sheriff Bakken said that in this case, participation will allow deputies to process illegal immigrants for ICE, enabling them to be removed from the county jail more quickly.
Last July, Governor Mark Gordon announced that Wyoming Highway Patrol would join ICE’s 287(g) program to assist with immigration enforcement. Sheriff Bakken has been negotiating with the federal agency since January of 2025 to bring his deputies into the program as well.
At yesterday’s meeting, the sheriff said he was not prepared to sign the agreement until now.
Sheriff Bakken said participation in the program comes at no cost to the county, as training will be covered by the federal government.
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners unanimously voted to sign the MOU between the Sheriff’s Office and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
