The sheriff of Albany County says he has “not authorized coordination” with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for holding inmates past their jail release date.
ICE says the sheriff's office has.
Differences of opinion about how to handle the federal agency have contoured parts of the high-profile sheriff’s race between incumbent Aaron Appelhans, a Democrat, and challenger Daron Wyatt, a Republican.
This race is one of the most controversial general-election contests in Wyoming, and it’s unfolding in the only “purple” county.
Wyatt has said the community would face fewer ICE operations and movement on the streets if the jail would hold immigration-case subjects for up to 48 hours extra to allow ICE to take custody of them in a “controlled environment.”
Appelhans said in a Thursday statement that because ICE doesn’t get judge-signed warrants or orders for the holds, he won’t honor them.
“As sheriff, I have not authorized coordination with ICE for extended custody holds or immigration enforcement because they cannot provide the mandatory legal and constitutional documents,” said Appelhans.
Though they’ve wrought consternation from various courts, ICE-style detainers of up to 48 hours have not been outlawed in Wyoming. The state’s other 22 sheriffs, including Democratic Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr, reportedly honor them.
ICE gave a different account from Appelhans.
An agency spokesman told Cowboy State Daily on Friday that Appelhans honored ICE detainers from 2021-2024. The period comprises the Biden administration.
ICE said Albany County Sheriff’s Office honored six detainers in 2021, one in 2022, two in 2023, and seven in 2024.
Appelhans notified ICE in April 2025 that he would no longer be honoring detainers, and has not honored any since, the agency spokesman said.
Appelhans countered that.
“I don’t believe the list from ICE is accurate,” he said. “I don’t know what they go into on ICE’s side of what they feel is honored or not … but no, we haven’t held anybody for ICE past whatever the extended period for local charges has been.”
A Cowboy State Daily FOIA request to ICE for more complete data is pending.
Appelhans has been sheriff since he was appointed to fill a vacancy in late 2020. He was elected in 2022.
Appelhans recalled the April 2025 meeting with ICE. He said the agency tried to contact his staffers and get him to change his policy.
“I basically told them we’re complying with the law as is,” said Appelhans.
He said ICE “was threatening to put me on a list of sheriffs who are not compliant,” but that Albany County is not on an official sanctuary county list.
As Appelhans formally rejected ICE, the Wyoming Legislature did the opposite.
Lawmakers passed a law in March 2025 banning any Wyoming city, town or county from implementing any policies restricting officials from communicating or cooperating with federal immigration officials.
Wyatt Says
Wyatt said Appelhans has given shifting answers on the ICE question and is now “making excuses, because he’s questioned as to the legitimacy of what he’s saying, as to why he doesn’t honor detainers.”
Wyatt questioned what Appelhans has to say about the other 22 sheriffs who honor ICE detainers, and whether they’re breaking the law.
He also pointed at what ICE calls Appelhans’ past pattern of honoring detainers.
“If he’s saying they’re unlawful now, what changed? Because the only thing that’s changed from (then) to now is the name of the person sitting in the Oval Office,” said Wyatt. “It’s a clear example of politics over public safety, not public safety over politics.”
Wyatt has called for honoring detainers to avoid ICE street operations in Albany County. There has been some, though minimal, documentation of such operations on social media.
“Not honoring Ice detainers is counterintuitive,” said Wyatt, “because he’s actually bringing ICE into the community, into situations that could lead to the use of force, intervention by private citizens, and could lead to collateral damage.”
By “collateral damage,” Wyatt said he meant ICE going to a subject’s home where his law-abiding, though undocumented family members also live, rather than just focusing on the detained subject in jail.
Wyatt also asserted that Appelhans is violating state law, by declining to honor ICE detainers.
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
