Sweetwater County Detention Center — First WY 287(g) Task Force, 30 ICE beds, I-80 corridor hub, $3M projected revenue

Overview

The Sweetwater County Detention Center in Rock Springs is a 205-bed facility that has become a regional ICE detention hub along the Interstate 80 corridor between Denver and Las Vegas. It was the first Wyoming law enforcement agency to join the 287(g) Task Force Model, an enhanced partnership authorizing up to 5 sworn deputies to perform limited federal immigration enforcement duties including investigations and arrests. The facility has been ICE-certified since 2020.

Key Details

287(g) agreement: Task Force Model (first in Wyoming)
ICE certification: Since 2020
ICE bed capacity: Expanded from 15 to 30 dedicated beds
Total facility capacity: 205 beds
Projected annual revenue: Up to $3 million from detention operations
Regional coverage: Accepts detainees from Teton, Lincoln, and Sublette counties
Staging role: Serves as intermediary holding facility between local jails and the Aurora ICE Processing Center

Strategic Location

Sweetwater County’s position along I-80 makes it a natural staging point for ICE operations across western Wyoming. The facility funnels detainees from the Teton/Jackson area (where ICE is active weekly) southward toward Aurora. With the only ICE ERO office in the state in Casper and another planned for Gillette, Sweetwater fills a geographic gap in western Wyoming.

Community Response

A protest at a Rock Springs hotel lodging Border Patrol officers prompted a police response, indicating some local opposition to the expanding enforcement presence. The ACLU of Wyoming has raised concerns about the 287(g) agreements being signed without public comment.

ICE Expansion Plans

ICE has indicated it wants to build an enforcement office in Rock Springs, which would make Sweetwater County a permanent base of operations for western Wyoming enforcement rather than relying on the Casper ERO office.

Detention Pipeline