Wyoming
Kemmerer balks at immigration jail as private prisons eye southwest Wyoming, again – WyoFile
The private prison industry has again come knocking in southwestern Wyoming, pitching the for-profit detention of immigrants as a potential boon for the region’s transitioning economy.
But unlike during President Donald Trump’s first term, this time the corporations don’t seem to be finding a foothold.
Last week, a company called Sabot Consulting pitched the Kemmerer City Council, and a packed room of townspeople, on the construction of a 900-bed jail to hold immigrants detained by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement.
Construction of the facility would have been paid for by the city through a bond issuance, two council members told WyoFile. Kemmerer would have owned the jail, and a third entity — an Alaskan Native corporation that is heavily invested in the private immigration detention business, including a controversial encampment in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — would have staffed it through a contract with the federal government.
Sabot’s role was to work with the city, ICE and the Alaskan corporation, Akima, to bring the project to fruition. The jail would have brought both high-paying jobs and revenues to Kemmerer, Sabot cofounder Darren Chiappinelli told the city council.
But the proposal got a poor reception from the public, and the council has no plans to pursue it, the two council members told WyoFile.
“There’s no interest among council members or even the majority of our constituents to keep it on our plate,” Kemmerer Mayor Robert Bowen said, describing the community reaction as “overwhelmingly ‘no.’” Council member Bill Ellis also told WyoFile the city wasn’t interested.
“We said ‘We can’t do it, and we don’t want it,’” he said.
ICE has put out notice to private prison companies that it is seeking an 850-950 bed facility within a two-hour drive of the Salt Lake City airport, according to a Facebook stream of the presentation that a Sabot Consulting official made to the Kemmerer council.
Though the proposal came as President Trump does everything in his power to deport immigrants — both those here without documentation and increasingly those with it — the latest quest for large numbers of holding cells near Salt Lake City stretches back to former President Joe Biden’s administration.
Promoters of the project first contacted the city last May, well before November’s election swept Trump back into office, Kemmerer City Administrator Brian Muir told WyoFile.
Representatives for Sabot Consulting did not respond to messages from WyoFile seeking comment. It’s unclear if the company is pitching other Wyoming communities on the immigration jail idea. An elected official in nearby Uinta County, where Evanston saw years of divisive debate over for-profit prison companies’ proposals from 2017 into 2020, told WyoFile the county commission had recently received outreach from a company he believed was also Sabot.
But Uinta County Commissioner Mark Anderson said this time around, his board is also choosing not to pursue the idea.
The reluctance to engage with the private prison company comes even as Wyoming’s elected officials, including legislators and many county sheriffs, are moving the state in line with Trump’s deportation agenda.
Kemmerer is the county seat of Lincoln County, where voters, as they did statewide, backed Trump by a large margin. Nearly 83% of the 10,580 Lincoln County residents who cast a vote for president in November chose to send Trump, with his campaign promises of mass deportation, back to the White House. But ideological support for more detainments and deportations doesn’t make a large immigration jail an automatic fit for the coal town, which is in the midst of an ongoing economic transition, the council members said.
Trona mine expansions, carbon dioxide storage projects and a $4 billion innovative nuclear power project have been driving a construction boom in southwestern Wyoming. Kemmerer in particular is benefitting from the nuclear plant, a project of Microsoft-founding billionaire Bill Gates, as its coal industry continues to contract.
Gates visited Kemmerer in June for a groundbreaking ceremony on the project, which received its construction permit in January and is slated to be generating electricity in 2030.
Amid those developments, getting into the private prison industry isn’t needed in Kemmerer and could even be counterproductive, Bowen said.
“It’s not a bad thing,” Bowen said of Trump’s immigration initiatives, but the jail “is not the right fit for our community.”
He wondered if Gates would have pursued his energy project in Kemmerer if it was known as the host of a large immigration jail. Though the Trump administration is determined to deport growing numbers of people, Bowen also noted that tech billionaire Elon Musk and the DOGE initiative are gutting government contracts, raising questions about the federal government’s reliability as a business partner.
Since Kemmerer would have owned the facility, the city would have been responsible for making it pay for itself were a contract with ICE to change or dry up. He and Ellis both said they feared a day where the city was hunting for inmates of any kind to fill its big jail.
“The risk versus reward wasn’t really there for us,” Bowen said, “not in a community of our size.”
Evanston saw turmoil, then abandonment
During the first Trump administration, first one and then another large corporation pushed for an immigration jail in Evanston, a community of about 12,000 people about 50 minutes southwest of Kemmerer. Over three years, the idea drove local controversy, before the companies ultimately walked away from the idea. Management Training Corporation, a private prison company, first brought the idea to Evanston in summer 2017, proposing Uinta County use a county-owned property near Bear River State Park to build the jail.
At the time, ICE was seeking 500 beds in the area. In 2019, however, the agency doubled the size of its request, to 1,000 beds.
The proposal spurred contentious public hearings and drove a bitter divide in Evanston. Opponents accused Uinta County public officials of steamrolling them and operating in the shadows. Though the decision remained local, both the Wyoming Legislature and candidates during the bitter 2018 gubernatorial primary campaign debated the idea.
Local proponents of the private prison meanwhile suggested outside influences were keeping a possible boon from the economically struggling town. The American Civil Liberties Union of Wyoming threatened litigation to force state-level elected officials to weigh in, while local and statewide activists coalesced into a group called WyoSayNo to oppose the project.
In summer 2019, Management Training Corporation abruptly, and quietly, walked away from the idea it had pushed for two years. CoreCivic, another large and controversial, private prison corporation, stepped into the void, and pushed the project further, to the point of submitting environmental review documents to the federal government. The Uinta County Commission in January 2020 passed a resolution to sell CoreCivic the land it needed once the company had secured an ICE contract. But in April of that year, CoreCivic too walked away, without offering any detailed reason why.
Akima, the company Sabot’s representative cited as its partner on the proposal for Kemmerer, is another major player in the lucrative private prison industry. Akima is a subsidiary of the Nana Regional Corporation, one of 13 regional Alaskan Native corporations. Such companies pay dividends to indigenous Alaskans but are not staffed solely by Native Americans. Subsidiaries of the corporations like Akima are effective at securing government contracts as minority-owned businesses, according to a report in The Guardian.
Akima’s detention centers have been faulted by federal auditors and advocates for poor conditions and civil rights violations, The Guardian reported.
It was Uinta County and Evanston officials who first directed the latest bid for a southwestern Wyoming immigration jail to Kemmerer, city manager Muir told WyoFile.
During the previous effort in Evanston, the Uinta County Commission was staunchly supportive of the project, despite hard lessons from other communities that bet on private prisons and the often rancorous local opposition.
But the ultimate abandonment of the idea by two consecutive companies left a bad taste behind, commissioner Anderson told WyoFile. “All the public hearings, all of these promises of jobs and then these companies pulling out,” he said, “it’s just been so inconsistent that the appetite for it is just not there right now.”
Anderson had received a voicemail in recent months from one of the private prison companies, and though he did not have the message at hand when he spoke with WyoFile by phone Wednesday, he said he believed it to have been Sabot. But it didn’t really matter which company had reached out.
“I haven’t even returned the phone call,” he said.
Related
Oil City News publishes letters, cartoons and opinions as a public service. The content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Oil City News or its employees. Letters to the editor can be submitted by following the link at our opinion section.
Wyoming Sun Bucks is a net gain for children, families
Dear Casper,
Rep. Ken Pendergraft’s recent column opposing the Sun Bucks program raises concerns about cost, but it does so in a way that risks giving readers an incomplete picture.
It is true that the Department of Family Services requested approximately $3.5 million for startup and operations. However, that figure represents a combined state and federal investment, split evenly. Wyoming’s share is half of that — and more importantly, those dollars are not intended to purchase food directly. They fund the administrative framework required to deliver federally funded benefits to eligible children.
Those responsibilities are not trivial. They include verifying eligibility, processing applications, maintaining technology systems, preventing fraud and ensuring benefits are accurately distributed. Without that infrastructure, the program simply cannot function, and no child would receive assistance.
The initial startup cost of $1.6 million covers one-time expenses such as building the IT system, setting up application processing, contracting with the EBT vendor that issues and loads benefit cards, and establishing temporary staffing and support systems to serve families statewide. This is not “an office for one person,” but the foundation of a program designed to reach roughly 32,000 children.
Once operational, the ongoing cost to Wyoming is estimated at about $483,000 per year in state funds. In return, the program would deliver approximately $3.84 million annually in federal food benefits to Wyoming children. That is a significant net gain for families across the state.
While the article emphasizes administrative expenses, it overlooks the scale of the benefit those costs unlock. The question is not whether administration exists — it must — but whether the outcome justifies the investment. In this case, a relatively modest state contribution enables millions in direct food assistance to flow into Wyoming communities.
Reasonable people can debate the role of government programs. But that debate should be grounded in a full accounting of both costs and benefits. When viewed in that light, the Sun Bucks program is less about bureaucracy and more about whether Wyoming chooses to participate in a federally funded effort to help ensure children have access to food during the summer months.
Mike Thompson, Chairman of the Department of Family Services Oversight Council
Evansville
Wyoming GOP endorsement of candidates
Dear Casper,
I have read about the plans for the Wyoming Republican party to endorse specific candidates in the upcoming primary election. It is my understanding that the state law currently prevents the Wyoming Republican party from officially endorsing a candidate. I agree with the party’s position that this is not in keeping with the party and its members’ First Amendment right to free speech.
However, I think that the party should be careful in exercising this right. As the purpose of the primary election is to select the candidate that the majority of the registered Republican party members feel is best suited for the position, it feels like there could be a conflict of interest in explicitly endorsing a specific candidate without receiving the input from all of the registered members of the party.
Without seeking the input of the entire Republican electorate, how will the party itself provide a fair and accurate endorsement of a candidate? I certainly hope that the party leadership is not intending to offer an endorsement on behalf of the entire party based simply on what they (the leadership) might believe. To offer such an endorsement without seeking the input from all of the party members would be anti-democratic and would invoke Orwellian images of the party which, rather than listening to and responding to the input from the party members, would tell the party members what they should think.
If the members of the party leadership wish to offer an endorsement, they should do so as individuals and should not presume to speak for the entire membership of the party, at least not before the entire Republican electorate has had a chance to provide input regarding a party-level endorsement.
To circumvent this problem, I would recommend that the Republican party hold a vote among all of its registered members to determine whom the party ought to endorse. Maybe we could hold an event where polling places are established, where party members can go to indicate their preference for that endorsement. This would provide a fair and democratic method to ensure that the Republican party’s endorsement reflects the will of the party members.
I think that there might be an event similar to what I have described scheduled for Aug. 18. Maybe the party could do more or less the same thing for their endorsement event — or just wait until then.
Carlos Buckner
Casper
Related
The 2026 Wyoming High School boys’ soccer season is close to its finish. Only three weeks remain. 4A teams will conclude the regular season, as they jockey for positions going into next week’s regional tournaments. Meanwhile, 3A schools have this week and next week left in the regular season. They are trying to reach the top four of the league standings, as those are the teams that qualify for the state tournament in two weeks.
WYOPREPS WEEK 8 BOYS SOCCER SCHEDULE 2026
Three matches this week feature ranked opponents squaring off. Sheridan will host Thunder Basin on Friday. In 3A on Saturday, top-ranked Cody is at No. 5 Mountain View, and four-rated Torrington goes to No. 2 Buffalo. Just like the ladies, you have some rivalry matches on the schedule with Rock Springs-Green River, Jackson-Star Valley, and Thunder Basin-Campbell County. Wednesday will bring new soccer rankings. This is the boys’ schedule for Week 8. Schedules are subject to change.
TUESDAY, MAY 5:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: #2 Sheridan 2 Campbell County 1 (conference match)
Final Score: Riverton 3 Natrona County 1 (conference match)
CLASS 3A
Pinedale at Rawlins – postponed to May 11 – changed to May 9 for boys’ match only!
WEDNESDAY, MAY 6:
CLASS 4A
Laramie at Cheyenne Central – postponed to May 9
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne East – postponed to May 9
Read More Soccer News from WyoPreps
WyoPreps Boys Soccer Standings on 5-4-26
WyoPreps Week 7 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches and Media Soccer Polls 4-29-26
Nominate a Boys Soccer Player for WyoPreps Athlete of the Week
WyoPreps Week 6 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches & Media Soccer Polls 4-22-26
WyoPreps Boys Soccer Standings on 4-20-26
WyoPreps Week 5 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Coaches & Media Soccer Polls 4-15-26
WyoPreps Week 4 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 3 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 2 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
WyoPreps Week 1 Boys Soccer Scores 2026
THURSDAY, MAY 7:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: #1 Jackson 8 Star Valley 2 (conference match)
Final Score: #4 Thunder Basin 3 Campbell County 1 (conference match)
Final Score: Rock Springs 2 #5 Green River 1 (conference match)
FRIDAY, MAY 8:
CLASS 4A
Final Score: Cheyenne Central 6 Cheyenne South 0 (conference match)
Final Score: #2 Sheridan 3 #4 Thunder Basin 1 (conference match)
Final Score: #2 Kelly Walsh 6 Riverton 0 (conference match)
Final Score: Laramie 3 Cheyenne East 1 (conference match)
Final Score: Evanston 2 Natrona County 2 – TIE (conference match) – Red Devils scored with 1 second left for the draw.
CLASS 3A
Final Score: #4 Worland 1 Rawlins 0 (conference match) – Kobe Bradshaw scored the GW goal on a PK in the 1st half.
Final Score: Douglas 2 Torrington 2 (conference match) – Shootout = Torrington wins 4-3!
Final Score: #1 Cody Lyman (conference match)
Final Score: #2 Lander 3 Pinedale 0 (conference match)
Final Score: Powell 1 #5 Mountain View 0 (conference match) – Gianrey Dallesandro with the GW-goal, assisted by Ethan Frame.
Final Score: #3 Buffalo 1 Newcastle 0 (conference match) – forfeit win for the Bison.
SATURDAY, MAY 9:
CLASS 4A
Laramie at Cheyenne Central, 11 a.m. (conference match)
Evanston at #2 Kelly Walsh, noon (conference match)
Cheyenne South at Cheyenne East, noon (conference match)
Riverton at Natrona County, noon (conference match)
Rock Springs at Star Valley, 1 p.m. (conference match)
CLASS 3A
Pinedale at Rawlins, 11 a.m.
#1 Cody at #5 Mountain View, noon (conference match)
Powell at Lyman, noon (conference match)
Torrington at #3 Buffalo, 2 p.m. (conference match)
#4 Worland at Douglas, 2 p.m. (conference match)
Final Score: Rawlins 1 Newcastle 0 (conference match) – forfeit win for the Outlaws.
Cheyenne Central vs. Cheyenne East HS Softball 2026
The Indians faced the rival Thunderbirds on April 15, 2026
Gallery Credit: David Settle, WyoPreps.com
-
World15 seconds agoTucker Carlson on ‘SNL’ Critiques the Met Gala and Slams the ‘Michael’ Movie for Ignoring ‘The Part When He Was a White Man’
-
News6 minutes agoHow Is Pope Leo Shaping the U.S. Church? Bishops.
-
Politics12 minutes agoAfter Virginia Redistricting Map Is Tossed, Democrats Search Desperately for a Response
-
Business18 minutes agoSales Are Up. Celebrities Are In. Is Gap Officially Back?
-
Science24 minutes agoWhat Is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?
-
Health30 minutes agoA 17¢ Supplement Is Changing Lives for Women Over 50—Here’s How
-
Culture42 minutes agoXia De-hong, 94, Dies; Persecuted in China, She Starred in Daughter’s Memoir
-
Lifestyle48 minutes agoA Monument to Chocolate Is Wrapped in Layers of Mexican History