Why It Matters
Wyoming’s immigration enforcement activity has expanded under formal agreements between state and local law enforcement agencies and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The scale and scope of these transfers reveal how state and local police operations intersect with federal immigration policy, raising questions about the criteria and process by which people are handed over to federal custody.
What Happened
Between May 1, 2025, and June 3, 2026, Campbell County law enforcement transferred 87 people to ICE custody. The transfers involved three separate law enforcement agencies: Wyoming Highway Patrol arrested 37 of those transferred, Campbell County Sheriff’s deputies arrested 42, and Gillette Police Department officers arrested 7. A single individual arrested by Crook County deputies was also held in Campbell County jail before being transferred to ICE.
All 87 individuals have since been released from Campbell County jail. The transfers were enabled by formal agreements: Campbell County Sheriff Scott Matheny signed a Warrant Service Officer agreement in February 2025, while Governor Mark Gordon authorized Wyoming Highway Patrol’s Task Force Model ICE agreement in July 2025. Wyoming Highway Patrol remains the only state law enforcement agency working directly with ICE.
The county jail generates revenue from these arrangements, holding ICE detainees at a rate of $80 per night under the agreements.
By the Numbers
87 — people transferred to ICE custody from Campbell County
13 months — duration of the transfer period (May 1, 2025, to June 3, 2026)
42 — arrests by Campbell County Sheriff’s deputies resulting in ICE transfer
37 — arrests by Wyoming Highway Patrol resulting in ICE transfer
7 — arrests by Gillette Police Department resulting in ICE transfer
$80 per night — rate charged for holding ICE detainees in Campbell County jail
Country of Origin Breakdown
More than two-thirds of the 87 transferred individuals came from Mexico. The remaining transfers included six people from Honduras, six from Guatemala, four from Nicaragua, two from Venezuela, two from Bolivia, and three combined from Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan. Four individuals’ countries of origin could not be determined by responding officers.
In one documented case, Engelver Pinula-Cota from Guatemala was arrested for stealing his ex-girlfriend’s phone, valued at $1,000, and was charged with burglary before being transferred to ICE.
Zoom Out
Campbell County’s transfer numbers reflect broader immigration enforcement trends in Wyoming. In Teton County, sheriff’s deputies arrested 241 foreign-born people in just over a year. The most common charges in Teton County cases were driving under the influence (44 cases) and driving without a license (40 cases)—traffic violations rather than felonies.
The expansion of local law enforcement partnerships with ICE has drawn scrutiny over arrest procedures. In Laramie County, a federal lawsuit alleges that Sheriff Brian Kozak’s office improperly handled a 2024 traffic stop of Mario Fabian Valenzuela Robles, who was pulled over in April for tinted windows and “kind of dark” taillights. The lawsuit claims the sheriff’s office blocked access to evidence and issued a false report. Kozak attributed the discrepancy in records to a copy-and-paste error.
What’s Next
The agreements remain active, and law enforcement continues participating in ICE transfer programs. Wyoming has positioned itself among states with formal immigration enforcement partnerships, though the breadth of enforcement—extending to minor traffic violations—continues to generate legal and policy questions about the role of local police in federal immigration operations.