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Wyoming House kills bill that would have mandated local police partnerships with ICE – KHOL 89.1 FM

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Wyoming House kills bill that would have mandated local police partnerships with ICE – KHOL 89.1 FM


Wyoming police and sheriffs will not be required to work with federal agencies on immigration enforcement. 

After a tie-breaker vote last week by Representative John Bear, former chair of the Wyoming Freedom Caucus, HB 276 died in the House Appropriations Committee. It would have forced local law enforcement into becoming de facto immigration enforcers by requiring they enter an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

HB 276 is just one, though, of around eight immigration-related bills out of over 500 filed this legislative session in Cheyenne. 

Wyoming’s push to crackdown on immigrants mirrors efforts at the federal level under President Trump, who recently signed the Riley Laken Act into law, which will make it easier to deport undocumented immigrants for petty crimes. 

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A bill that would invalidate drivers licenses granted to undocumented immigrants in other states, passed a third and final reading in the House Jan. 23 with all three Teton County representatives voting against the bill. 

A bill that would ban “sanctuary cities” and counties in Wyoming and add penalties for local officials passed a third and final reading in the House 51-6 with five absent. Teton County Reps. Liz Storer and Mike Yin were two of the six ‘nay’ votes while Rep. Andrew Byron voted for the bill. No jurisdiction has ever sought the designation.

For HB 276, it was Wyoming’s law enforcement that wanted the bill dead. 

The Wyoming Association of Sheriffs and Chiefs of Police Executive Director, Allen Thompson, testified before the committee and urged legislators to oppose the bill. 

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Currently, only 77 sheriffs offices out of the over 3,000 departments in the United States have agreements with ICE. 

“There is a reason for that,” Thompson said. “And, it’s not because we somehow support illegal immigration.” 

Thompson stressed that the agreement would come with a financial commitment to ICE that would stretch local police resources thin in the midst of shrinking budgets on the horizon.

“The sheriffs wholeheartedly support the message of this bill, but have serious concerns about the ability to provide yet another enhanced service by entering into these contracts,” Thompson said.

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Casper approves Wyoming Boulevard property rezoning

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Casper approves Wyoming Boulevard property rezoning


CASPER, Wyo. — The Casper City Council voted Tuesday to approve on first reading a zoning change for a vacant 2.4-acre parcel located at 1530 SE Wyoming Boulevard, transitioning the property from residential to commercial use.

The ordinance reclassifies Lot 4 of the Methodist Church Addition from Residential Estate to General Business. Located between East 15th and East 18th streets, the irregular-shaped property has remained undeveloped since it was first platted in 1984.

While original plans for the subdivision envisioned a church and an associated preschool, Community Development Director Liz Becher reported those projects never materialized.

According to Becher, the applicant sought the rezoning to facilitate the potential installation of a cell tower or an off-premises sign. Under the new C-2 designation, a cell tower up to 130 feet in height is considered a permitted use by right, though any off-premises sign would still require a conditional use permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission. The applicant also owns the adjacent lot to the north, which the city rezoned to general business in 2021.

Becher said the change aligns with the “Employment Mixed Use” classification in the Generation Casper comprehensive land use plan. This designation typically supports civic, institutional and employment spaces.

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Despite the new zoning, the property remains subject to a subdivision agreement that limits traffic access. Entry and exit are restricted to right turns onto or from East 15th Street, and no access is permitted from East 18th Street.

The council will vote on two more readings of the ordinance before it is officially ratified.

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Two men detained in Wyoming in connection with deadly shooting at downtown Salt Lake hotel

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Two men detained in Wyoming in connection with deadly shooting at downtown Salt Lake hotel


Two men were detained in Wyoming in connection with a fatal shooting at a downtown Salt Lake hotel that killed one man.

Carlos Chee, 23, and Chino Aguilar, 21, were both wanted for first-degree felony murder after the victim, identified as Christian Lee, 32, was found dead in a room at the Springhill Suites near 600 South and 300 West.

According to warrants issued for their arrest, Chee and Aguilar met with Lee and another woman at the hotel to sell marijuana. During the alleged drug deal, Aguilar allegedly shot and killed Lee after he tried to grab at his gun.

MORE | Shootings

Investigators said they found Lee dead in the room upon arrival, as well as a single shell casing on the floor and a small amount of marijuana on the television stand.

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The woman told investigators she had met Chee on a dating app and that he agreed to come to the hotel to sell her marijuana. She had been hanging out with him in the room, which Lee rented for her to use, when Lee asked them to leave. Lee was then shot and killed following a brief confrontation.

Chee and Aguilar allegedly fled the scene in a 2013 Toyota Camry with a Texas license plate that was later found outside of Rock Springs, Wyoming just a few hours later.

The two men were taken into custody and detained at the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office.

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Man shot, critically injured by deputy during ‘disturbance’ in Rock Springs, Wyoming

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Man shot, critically injured by deputy during ‘disturbance’ in Rock Springs, Wyoming


A man was hospitalized with critical injuries after he was reportedly shot by a deputy responding to reports of a disturbance.

Deputies with the Sweetwater County Sheriff’s Office and officers with the Rock Springs Police Department responded to the Sweetwater Heights apartment complex in the 2100 block of Century Boulevard just after 4 a.m. on Monday to investigate reports of a disturbance involving an armed individual.

Information that dispatch received indicated that the individual had shot himself. When officials arrived, they found the individual on the balcony of an upstairs apartment “who appeared to have a gunshot wound consistent with the initial report,” a press release states.

MORE | Officer-Involved Shooting

During the encounter, a deputy discharged their weapon and struck the individual.

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Emergency medical personnel rendered aid, and the individual was transported to an area hospital in critical condition.

No law enforcement officers or members of the public were injured during the incident.

The Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation will conduct an independent investigation.

The deputy who fired their weapon was placed on administrative leave per standard protocol.

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