Colorado Deputies Punished for Helping ICE After State AG Sued Their Department

Two Colorado sheriff’s deputies are in trouble for their roles in helping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detain a foreign national with an expired visa.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has filed a lawsuit against Mesa County Deputy Alexander Zwinck, alleging that Zwinck violated a state law that prohibits local police agencies from sharing information with immigration authorities, according to the Associated Press.

The law allows violators to be fined, but Weiser’s lawsuit did not pursue that punishment. Instead, the lawsuit sought to ban Zwinck from repeating the actions he was alleged to have done.

As part of the investigation into whether members of a regional drug task were violating the state’s law, it was determined that Mesa County Deputy Erik Olson also d immigration information with federal agents, according to Fox News.

As a result of the investigation, Zwinck was slapped with three weeks of unpaid leave, and Olson was punished with two weeks of unpaid leave, Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell said in a statement. Both deputies were taken off the task force.

Weiser’s lawsuit against Zwinck said that twice in June he d information about individuals with expired visas with Homeland Security Investigations, per the AP.

Weiser said he was enforcing a recently enacted state law to ban collaboration between local law enforcement and immigration authorities.

“One of our goals in enforcing this law is to make clear that this law is not optional. This is a requirement, and it’s one that we take seriously,” he said.

Rowell said the incident that led to the state coming down on the department took place on June 5, when Caroline Dias-Goncalves, 19, was pulled over in a traffic stop.

She was released after a warning but arrested by immigration agents shortly after. She spent 15 days in a detention facility before being freed on bond, according to Fox News.

Rowell said two supervisors were punished: One was suspended for two days without pay, and another was given an official letter of reprimand. A third supervisor linked to the incident received counseling.

“The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office should not have had any role in the chain of events leading to Miss Dias-Goncalves’ detention, and I regret that this occurred. I apologize to Miss Dias-Goncalves,” Rowell said.

Although the two deputies had received notice of the new law, Olson said that sharing information with federal partners was “standard practice.”

“It was routine for ICE to show up on the back end of a traffic stop to do their thing,” Olson said. “I truly thought what we were doing was condoned by our supervision and lawful.”

A representative of Weiser, Lawrence Pacheco, said the official learned of a “blatant violation of state law” and had to act.

“The attorney general has a duty to enforce state laws and protect Coloradans, and he’ll continue to do so,” Pacheco said.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.