On May 12, Hot Springs County Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar signed two agreements with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), joining seven other Wyoming county sheriffs in doing so, according to a federal database. That brings the number of participating agencies in Wyoming to 13.
After multiple requests for comment via phone and email, Sheriff Kraushaar said in an email that his office was “unable to comment at this time.” ICE Denver offices did not return a request for comment.
ICE agreements come in three types. Hot Spring County’s Task Force Model grants sheriff officers limited immigration enforcement authority with ICE during routine police duties. The Warrant Service Officer program allows ICE to train, certify and authorize local law enforcement to execute administrative warrants in the agency’s jail.
Following a trend
The Hot Springs County signing follows a trend in Wyoming and across the country ramping up participation with ICE to help with immigration enforcement as the Trump administration attempts to deliver on its promise to deport immigrants without proper paperwork and expand who falls into that category. Wyoming is one of 39 states and two territories that have agencies with signed agreements.
Hot Springs’ approach differs from louder announcements of partnership with ICE. In early October of 2025, Laramie County Sheriff Brian Kozak sent out a press release after signing three agreements. He also held a press conference to tout 25 deputies being sworn in to enforce immigration law under Section 287(g).
The first recorded agreement in Wyoming is from 2020 with the Sweetwater County sheriff. The 12 other agencies, which includes Wyoming Highway Patrol, signed in 2025 or 2026.
Did commissioners know?
Kraushaar's signings came 15 days before the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Wyoming helped a church and a nonprofit group sue Kozak, claiming he did not seek proper approval from Laramie County commissioners and didn’t give proper public notice before signing.
Hot Springs agreements were not on the agenda for the commissioners this year, “so far as we can tell,” ACLU of Wyoming Deputy Executive Director Kaitlyn Denzler said in a statement to KHOL.
Hot Springs County Commission Chair Bob Aguiar did not return a request for comment.
Denzler took issue with any county singing agreements without what the ACLU argues is proper notice.
“For most other Wyoming counties, we don’t even have clear public information about how their sheriffs entered these agreements, and that opacity is itself part of the problem,” Denzler said.
Under 287(g) agreements, Denzler said local law enforcement officers carry out “‘show me your papers’ immigration enforcement, eroding constitutional protections, undermining public safety, and diverting limited local resources away from core law enforcement responsibilities.”
