Two representatives in Colorado have faced disciplinary action for providing information to federal immigration agents, something that goes against a state law implemented a few months back.
The Colorado Attorney General, Phil Weiser, has launched a lawsuit against Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Director Alexander Zwink after it was revealed that he worked with federal immigration agents on a drug task force.
In an incident from June 5, Mesa County Sheriff Todd Lowell noted that a 19-year-old nursing student, Caroline Diaz Goncalves, was pulled over by Zwink. It seems he got a bit too close to a semi-truck during this traffic stop. Around 20 minutes after her stop, she was released with some warnings but was later arrested by federal immigration agents.
Zwink had allegedly shared details about her location and car in a group chat that included an ICE agent. Following her arrest, Diaz Goncalves was detained for 15 days before being released on bond.
Additionally, it has come to light that another member of the sheriff’s department, Eric Olson, shared immigration information with federal agents as well.
The sheriff’s office indicated that both deputies used encrypted chats to funnel information to federal authorities during immigration enforcement activities.
Following the investigation, Zwink received a three-week unpaid suspension, while Olson was given a two-week unpaid leave. Both have been removed from the task force they were part of.
Two supervisors within the department were also disciplined; one was suspended for two days without pay, while another received a reprimand. A third supervisor underwent counseling.
Sheriff Lowell expressed regret, saying, “The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office should have had no role in the events that led to Miss Diaz Goncalves’ detention and we apologize for this incident.”
Zwink was sued under a new state law, which was signed by Democratic Governor Jared Polis just weeks before Diaz Goncalves’ arrest. This law prohibits local government employees, including law enforcement, from sharing personal information about individuals with federal immigration officials.
This law is part of a broader movement in Colorado, aiming to limit state involvement in immigration enforcement, even leading to lawsuits from the Department of Justice over alleged violations of the U.S. Constitution or federal immigration laws.
In yet another incident, there was an illegal immigrant working as a police officer in Maine who was caught while trying to purchase a firearm.
Zwink and Olson reportedly defended their actions by stating they believed they were following procedures that had existed for years. However, the investigation found they had read warnings about cooperating with immigration officials.
An email sent on January 30, 2025, clearly warned law enforcement not to engage Homeland Security Investigations or ICE if there were suspicions about an individual’s citizenship status during violent crime arrests.
During his disciplinary hearing, Zwink claimed he was either unfamiliar with the new law or uninterested in aiding immigration enforcement. Meanwhile, Olson indicated that passing information to federal agents during traffic stops was customary practice.
Olson stated, “It was routine for ICE to arrive following traffic stops and conduct their own investigations. I thought we were operating within legal boundaries with management’s approval.”
Sheriff Rowell mentioned that other law enforcement agencies’ drug task force members also allegedly shared information with immigration agents in similar encrypted chats, although the state patrol has denied such allegations.
He criticized Weiser for pursuing the lawsuit against Zwink prior to completing the internal investigation, urging that the Attorney General should halt the proceedings.
“The lawsuits from the Attorney General’s office send a confusing message to Colorado law enforcement, suggesting that the law might not be implemented consistently,” he remarked.
Weiser announced last week that he is looking to see if other officials involved in group chats may have violated the state law.
A spokesperson for Weiser mentioned they had uncovered “a blatant violation of state law,” which necessitated action.
“The Attorney General has a duty to enforce state law and safeguard Colorado residents, and he remains committed to that mission,” spokesperson Lawrence Pacheco stated.
