Background: House Bill 133 would prohibit cities, towns, and counites in Wyoming from declaring themselves as “sanctuary cities,” and would require cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
Our position: The ACLU of Wyoming opposes House Bill 133 and efforts to punish cities that have tried to improve public safety by taking commonsense measures to build community trust and ensure that crime victims cooperate with the police.
For decades, our cities have had the right to make decisions about how to use taxpayer money and protect Wyoming residents. House Bill 133 would eliminate that right, opening the door to local police and local officials disregarding community needs and the will of the people.
Immigration enforcement is a federal issue, not a local or state one, and federal law does not require cities to help with immigration enforcement. House Bill 133 would allow local police to ignore local community needs and divert taxpayer money to helping deport and detain our community members for Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
