Wyoming’s Sweetwater County Sheriff John Grossnickle signed a new memorandum of understanding with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Thursday. According to the press release, with the agreement, the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office becomes the first local law enforcement agency in Wyoming with an enhanced partnership that authorizes up to five sworn deputies to perform limited federal immigration enforcement duties, including investigations and arrests, under the supervision and direction of ICE. Sheriff Grossnickle said the new agreement will help the county confront real public safety threats while also offsetting local costs. “This isn’t about politics for us,” shares Grossnickle. “It’s about what we’ve seen happen right here in Sweetwater County. We all remember Saaverda Villa—a twice-deported sex offender who came back and raped a local 8-year-old girl in 2022. That’s the kind of threat we’re trying to stop.” Grossnickle also says, “This partnership also helps generate revenue through housing ICE detainees at our detention center, which means we’re able to enhance public safety without placing additional burden on local taxpayers.”
