Colorado Attorney General Sues Deputy for Cooperating with ICE, Violating State Law

Strategic Insights -

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser filed a civil lawsuit against a Mesa County Sheriff's Office deputy who tipped off Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to a college student who had overstayed her visa. The case highlights the tension between Colorado's sanctuary laws, which bar local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, and critics who argue that these policies hinder efforts to enforce immigration law. The deputy, Alexander Zwinck, allegedly shared a college student's information with federal immigration officers, leading to her detention and 15-day stay in an ICE facility.

Key Takeaways:

  • The lawsuit, filed by Attorney General Phil Weiser, targets Deputy Alexander Zwinck in his personal capacity for violating Colorado's state law that bars cooperation with federal immigration officers.
  • The incident occurred on June 5, when Zwinck pulled over a University of Utah student, Caroline Dias Goncalves, for following a semitrailer too closely. He then shared her information with federal immigration officers via a Signal chat.
  • Weiser's lawsuit seeks two declarations from the court: one that Zwinck's actions ran afoul of the state law and another that he should be enjoined from violating its provisions.
  • Investigators are exploring whether any other laws were violated, within the Attorney General's Office authority, in the incident.
  • The Mesa County Sheriff's Office announced on June 19 that Zwinck was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation into the incident.
  • The sheriff's office is nearing completion of the investigation and will issue a formal statement once it is complete.
  • The incident has sparked criticism of Colorado's sanctuary laws, with some arguing that they hinder efforts to enforce immigration law and draw undocumented immigrants to the state.

Statistics:

  • 40,000: The number of people allegedly drawn into the metro Denver area by Canada's "sanctuary" laws, according to Douglas County Undersheriff David Walcher.
  • 12 years: The amount of time Caroline Dias Goncalves, the college student, has been living in Utah.
  • 15 days: The length of time Dias Goncalves was detained in the ICE center.
  • 1 week: The amount of time the Mesa County Sheriff's Office says they will take to complete the administrative investigation into the incident.

Sources:

  • "Colorado Attorney General's lawsuit claims deputy tipped off ICE to Brazilian university student who overstayed visa" by Ann Imse, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.), June 25, 2025.
  • "Sanctuary policies barred Colo. authorities from cooperating with immigration agents, AG claims in lawsuit" by Taylor Hayden, The Denver Gazette, June 25, 2025.