Colorado’s Democrat Attorney General is literally suing individual sheriff’s deputies for doing their jobs and helping federal immigration authorities enforce the law.
Story Highlights
- Two Mesa County deputies disciplined for sharing information with ICE about Brazilian student with expired visa
- Colorado AG Phil Weiser filed lawsuit against Deputy Alexander Zwinck for violating state sanctuary laws
- Sheriff Todd Rowell calls lawsuit “demoralizing” and requests dismissal while defending his officers
- State laws SB 21-131 and SB 25-276 prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration authorities
When Following Federal Law Becomes a State Crime
The lunacy of our current immigration mess has reached peak absurdity in Colorado, where two Mesa County sheriff’s deputies are being punished for the unforgivable crime of helping federal agents enforce immigration law. Deputies Alexander Zwinck and Erik Olson committed the heinous act of sharing information with ICE about Caroline Dias-Goncalves, a Brazilian college student with an expired visa, during a routine traffic stop on June 5th. The result? ICE detained her for 15 days, and now the deputies face disciplinary action and a lawsuit from their own state government.
This is what happens when sanctuary state policies collide with common sense law enforcement. Colorado’s SB 21-131 and SB 25-276 essentially handcuff local police from cooperating with federal immigration authorities, creating a bizarre legal framework where helping enforce federal law becomes a state violation. The message is crystal clear: protect illegal immigrants at all costs, even if it means throwing your own law enforcement officers under the bus.
AG Weiser’s Weaponized Justice
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser didn’t just stop at internal discipline. He escalated this to a full lawsuit against Deputy Zwinck, sending a chilling message to every law enforcement officer in the state. Weiser’s office calls the violation “blatant” and claims he’s protecting Coloradans, but the real question is: which Coloradans is he protecting? Certainly not the citizens who expect their tax-funded law enforcement to work with federal agencies to uphold immigration law.
The lawsuit represents something more sinister than just enforcing state policy. It’s the weaponization of the legal system against rank-and-file officers who were simply doing what law enforcement has done for decades. These deputies didn’t create some rogue operation; they shared information about someone in violation of federal immigration law through established communication channels with ICE agents.
Sheriff Rowell’s Impossible Position
Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell finds himself caught between protecting his officers and complying with state mandates that fundamentally contradict effective law enforcement. While he apologized and discontinued the Signal chat used to communicate with ICE, Rowell publicly called the lawsuit “demoralizing” and requested its dismissal. He’s walking a tightrope between state overreach and supporting his deputies who were following what should be standard police procedure.
Rowell’s response highlights the impossible situation Colorado has created for local law enforcement. Sheriff’s departments are now forced to choose between cooperating with federal authorities to enforce the law and avoiding punishment from their own state government. The deputies have been placed on unpaid leave, with Zwinck reassigned from his task force position to patrol duty. This sends a clear message to every officer in Colorado: help ICE and face career consequences.
The Real Victims of Sanctuary Madness
While Democrats wring their hands over Dias-Goncalves’ 15-day detention, they ignore the broader implications of their sanctuary policies. Law enforcement morale is plummeting when officers face lawsuits for doing their jobs. Citizens are left wondering why their tax dollars fund police departments that are prohibited from fully cooperating with federal law enforcement. Meanwhile, the precedent being set in Colorado will likely spread to other Democrat-controlled states, further eroding immigration enforcement nationwide.
The most infuriating aspect is the selective enforcement of law. These deputies are being crucified for sharing information about someone who was actually in violation of federal immigration law, yet the same state government that’s prosecuting them actively works to shield other immigration violators from federal authorities. It’s a complete inversion of law enforcement priorities that puts political ideology above public safety and legal compliance.
