Wyoming Anti-Sanctuary Bill: An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure
January 29, 2025
Some in Wyoming are asking why their legislators want to take the time and effort to pass laws prohibiting illegal alien sanctuaries given their state doesn’t currently have any such policies, and otherwise enjoys a relatively low level of illegal immigration. Those same folks might ask why bother having smoke detectors if your house isn’t on fire.
Compared to other states, Wyoming does have fewer problems with illegal immigration — at least for the moment — but the numbers have been rising in recent years. 8,000 illegal aliens, along with 2,000 of their U.S.-born children, now reside in the state costing taxpayers $45.2 million annually in public services. And although there are no officially designated sanctuary policies in the state, 103 incarcerated illegal aliens have been released back onto the streets in the past 21 months thanks to the Teton County Sheriff’s Office, which refuses to honor detainer requests from Immigration Customs and Enforcement.
Thankfully, legislators in the Cowboy State who recognize disturbing trends and understand the importance of prevention have introduced anti-sanctuary legislation. If passed, House Bill 133 would prohibit cities, towns, and counties in Wyoming from creating sanctuary policies and require that local officials cooperate with federal immigration authorities. The icing on the cake is the bill’s penalty clause for public officials who do not comply:
https://www.fairus.org/blog/2025/01/29/wyoming-anti-sanctuary-bill-ounce-prevention-worth-pound-cure
