Wyoming Sheriff Details Plans to Support Trump’s Mass Deportation

A Republican sheriff in Wyoming has offered jail space to the incoming Trump administration to hold undocumented immigrants awaiting deportation.

Why It Matters

President-elect Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to conduct the largest mass deportation operation in U.S. history as part of his immigration crackdown.

This proposed deportation was a key part of his reelection campaign, and he has vowed that on “Day One” of his presidency millions of migrants living in the country illegally will be sent out of the country, citing concerns about crime.

What To Know

Brian Kozak, sheriff of Laramie County, Wyoming, is negotiating an agreement with the U.S. Marshals Service to hold individuals targeted for deportation under Trump’s immigration policy, according to a NewsNation report.

Kozak said his county can assist with mass deportations and provide approximately 200 beds. The contract under negotiation stipulates that the sheriff’s department will receive $120 per day for each inmate it accommodates.

The sheriff said his department is one of the first to request immigration authority for jail deputies, allowing them to assess an inmate’s immigration status and file federal charges without needing to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Kozak also said his department has six inmates who are in the U.S. illegally and have “ICE detainers,” meaning they have committed a crime more serious than a misdemeanor and meet the criteria for possible deportation under the Biden administration.

Kozak’s offer to support the Trump administration’s deportation efforts shows the cooperation between state and federal law enforcement that can occur in a reliably red state, but there are concerns surrounding Trump’s mass deportation plans.

The policy could have a staggering one-time cost of $315 billion, according to the American Immigration Council. Deporting 1 million people annually could cost $88 billion each year. Around 11 million undocumented immigrants reside in the United States, according to the Pew Research Center.

Critics argue that such policies disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, particularly people who have lived in the U.S. for years, had families and contributed to society.

One expert told Newsweek that deportation efforts often lead to family separations and potential violations of human rights protections under international law.

What People Are Saying

Brian Kozak told NewsNation: “Our jail has 180 inmates, so we can safely go up to 400, but that’s contingent on our staffing level. We have a federal law broken that’s not being enforced, and so we are standing ready to help President Trump and our local senators enforce that law.”

Karoline Leavitt, Trump-Vance transition spokeswoman, told Newsweek: “President Trump will enlist every federal power and coordinate with state authorities to institute the largest deportation operation of illegal criminals, drug dealers and human traffickers in American history while simultaneously lowering costs for families. The American people reelected President Trump by a resounding margin, giving him a mandate to implement the promises he made on the campaign trail, like deporting migrant criminals and restoring our economic greatness. He will deliver.”

Sarah Paoletti, a professor of law at the University of Pennsylvania, told Newsweek: “Current immigration law, policy and practice within the United States already stand in violation of international human rights law, and the threats of mass deportation and increased use of mandatory detention will only compound those violations.

She continued: “These violations will only increase under the threatened mass deportations, which could implicate rights to due process, right to access the courts, right to equality and nondiscrimination—all norms of customary international law, as well as violations of U.S. obligations under the [International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights], potentially the Convention on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the Convention Against Torture and the Refugee Convention.”

What Happens Next

Once Trump returns to the White House following his January 20 inauguration, he is expected to sign a series of executive orders on illegal immigration and strengthening border security.

He has vowed to enact the mass deportations on the first day of his presidency.