Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging county sheriff’s 287(g) agreements

CHEYENNE (WNE) — A lawsuit against Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak regarding his 287(g) immigration initiative was dismissed by a judge Tuesday.

The lawsuit was filed May 26 in Laramie County District Court by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Cheyenne, Drew’s Barbershop and local immigrant advocacy group Juntos Wyoming, with support from the ACLU of Wyoming.

The 287(g) agreements consist of Jail Enforcement, Warrant Service Officer and Task Force. They allow local, county and state law enforcement to conduct some federal immigration duties. Only the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and Laramie County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) have all three types of the agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

According to previous Wyoming Tribune Eagle reporting, the lawsuit described how an employed barber at Drew’s Barbershop named Carlos Montes was pulled over by a deputy for an inoperable headlight and subsequently deported to Nicaragua under the authority of the 287(g) agreements.

The barbershop’s owners were led to make the decision to sell the business due to “lost revenue from Montes no longer working at the shop.”

The Unitarian Universalist Church previously told the WTE it had to redirect roughly $10,000 in charity funds, food and supplies to support families impacted by the 287(g) agreements.

Rachel Martinez, communication coordinator for Juntos Wyoming, previously told WTE that the sheriff’s actions have alienated marginalized communities.

The three plaintiffs brought three allegations against Kozak in his official capacity as sheriff.

The first alleged Kozak exceeded his authority and violated W.S. 18-2-101 — which details the general powers held by county governing bodies — by signing three ICE agreements without first obtaining approval from the Laramie County Board of County Commissioners.

The second alleged Kozak exceeded his authority and violated W.S. 18-6-313 — which prohibits the sheriff from incurring county expenses without written approval from the commissioners, except where otherwise allowed by law — by signing the three agreements with ICE and incurring expenses without authorization from the county commissioners.

This story was published on August 29, 2026. 

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