Businesses in Wyoming Brace for ICE Crackdowns as Immigration Raids Hit Jackson

Immigration enforcement is heating up in Wyoming — and hospitality and tourism businesses are being warned to get their paperwork in order, fast.

In an online presentation this week, attorneys from the law firm Holland & Hart teamed up with the Wyoming Hospitality and Tourism Coalition to alert employers: ICE is back on the prowl, and rural resort towns like Jackson are squarely in their sights.

“Don’t assume you’re flying under the radar just because you’re in Wyoming,” said Samantha Wolfe, a partner based in Denver. “ICE and Homeland Security have ramped up operations in resort towns and rural areas. They’re coming.”

The message to businesses? Get your I-9s in shape. Know what to do if agents show up. And maybe rethink assumptions about how likely you are to get raided.

According to Holland & Hart, enforcement is expanding because of new funding approved by Congress in what was dubbed the “Big Beautiful Bill.” That means more raids, more audits — and more legal exposure for businesses that hire seasonal or undocumented workers, knowingly or not.

The warning came on the heels of a multi-day ICE operation in Jackson and surrounding areas, during which at least nine people were detained. One of them was 56-year-old Juan Barranco Castro, arrested in the parking lot of a church while heading to work. Friends say he wasn’t even the person agents were looking for — just a man in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Barranco Castro has lived in Jackson for 26 years, sends money home to a sick wife in Tlaxcala, Mexico, and has no known criminal record. He was taken away in leg irons and belly chains.

ICE hasn’t responded to questions about the arrest or confirmed how many people were detained during the operation, which was staged from a Hampton Inn in Pinedale.

At the same time, employers are now facing renewed legal scrutiny. Holland & Hart attorneys laid out a laundry list of possible charges: hiring undocumented workers, I-9 fraud, harboring workers, even “encouraging” them to stay.

Social Security “no-match” letters — notices that an employee’s name or SSN doesn’t match federal records — are about to be mailed en masse. That, too, could put businesses on notice if they don’t take action.

To help address labor shortages, the attorneys suggested exploring J-1 or H-2B visa programs. But above all, they urged businesses to do internal audits before ICE shows up.

The recent raids have left many Jackson residents shaken. A video widely shared online shows Barranco Castro being handcuffed by agents in a church parking lot. Friends worry he was taken without his diabetes medication.

At community events, attendance plummeted. One Hispanic-focused gathering during the Teton County Fair saw significantly fewer attendees — many chose to stay home after hearing ICE was in town.

“We were all looking forward to it,” said Rubi Castro. “But everyone’s afraid.”

ICE doesn’t maintain a permanent presence in Jackson, but agents show up quietly and often — sometimes with little notice to local law enforcement.

While ICE has publicly said it targets “serious criminal convictions,” records show that many of those recently arrested had no criminal history beyond traffic citations. Some had none at all.

This reflects a shift under President Trump’s second term, where ICE appears to be expanding its net. According to data reviewed by WyoFile and The Colorado Sun, most of those arrested in Wyoming this year didn’t have criminal convictions — a change from 2024, when most detainees did.

ICE’s activity isn’t confined to Jackson. The agency has been transferring detainees from Colorado to Wyoming county jails, including in Casper. Over 40 detainees were recently housed in the Natrona County Detention Center.

Governor Mark Gordon recently signed a new agreement with ICE, allowing Wyoming Highway Patrol officers to be trained in immigration enforcement and use that training during traffic stops.

While Gordon has previously been hesitant to involve state resources in federal enforcement, his office said the agreement balances immigration compliance with economic priorities.

In Pinedale, where ICE agents stayed during the recent operation, locals spotted them dining at brew pubs and exchanging documents in the hotel parking lot. Some residents gathered to protest, holding signs that read “STOP KIDNAPPING OUR NEIGHBORS.”

But others welcomed the agency’s presence.

“We elected Donald Trump for security,” said Big Piney resident Gary Garlick. “I support what they’re doing.”

As immigration enforcement surges across Wyoming, the message from lawyers and community leaders is clear: stay informed, get compliant, and don’t assume ICE is somewhere else.

The original story by WyoFile, Jackson Hole News&Guide, The Pinedale Roundup, Wyoming Tribune Eagle, and the Sheridan Press.