Recent events in Colorado have brought to the forefront the complexities and tensions surrounding state immigration laws, specifically a new sanctuary measure that led to the suspension of several sheriff’s department employees.
Three individuals from the Mesa County Sheriff’s Department—two deputies and a sergeant—faced unpaid suspensions for allegedly breaching this newly enacted sanctuary state law. Their actions involved sharing information with federal immigration agents, a practice now explicitly prohibited under the state’s updated statutes.
The suspensions stem from an internal review conducted by Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell, which scrutinized the circumstances leading to the detention of Utah college student Caroline Dias-Goncalves by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last month. This incident quickly became a flashpoint for debate over inter-agency cooperation on immigration matters.
Initially, a deputy released Dias-Goncalves with a warning. However, within twenty minutes, ICE agents intervened, stopping and arresting her due to an expired visa. Investigations revealed that Deputy Zwinck had reportedly shared Dias-Goncalves’ location and vehicle description in a group chat that included ICE agents, raising questions about adherence to new protocols.
This deputy was part of a broader drug task force, comprising various law enforcement entities from Grand Junction and multiple state and federal agencies. Following her arrest, Dias-Goncalves was transferred to a detention facility, where she remained for fifteen days before securing her release on bond, highlighting the tangible impact of these information exchanges.
Sheriff Rowell issued a comprehensive statement regarding the incident, acknowledging his agency’s involvement and confirming that three of his employees had “acted outside of agency policy.” As a result, Deputy Zwinck received three weeks of unpaid leave and was reassigned to patrol, along with Olson, who was suspended for two weeks. Sergeant Joe LeMoine faced a two-day suspension, and both deputies were removed from the task force.
The new measure, which explicitly bans police from sharing identifying information about individuals with federal immigration officials, had only been signed into law two weeks prior to Dias-Goncalves’ arrest by Democrat Governor Jared Polis. This rapid succession of events underscored the immediate implications of the state’s evolving legal framework.
Despite condemning the violations of the new law by his deputies, Sheriff Rowell also voiced criticism regarding a lawsuit filed against Deputy Zwinck by the state attorney general. He argued that initiating legal action before the completion of his internal probe sent “a demoralizing message to law enforcement officers across Colorado,” emphasizing the difficult position agencies face in navigating these legal shifts.
The state of Colorado had already been embroiled in legal disputes concerning its sanctuary policies, with a lawsuit from the Trump administration pending since May, challenging policies perceived to hinder federal immigration enforcement. This historical context further complicates the current situation, illustrating a prolonged tension between state and federal approaches to immigration.
