Three employees from the Colorado Sheriff’s Department—two deputies and a sergeant—have been suspended without pay for breaching new state laws that restrict sharing information with federal immigration officials.
Mesa County Sheriff Todd Rowell made this decision following an internal investigation related to the detention of University of Utah student Caroline Diaz Goncalves by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The 19-year-old Brazilian nursing student was involved in a traffic stop on June 5 when Deputy Alexander Zwink was allegedly pursuing a semi-truck.
After a warning, the deputy let Diaz Goncalves go, but twenty minutes later, an ICE agent apprehended her due to an expired visa.
Sheriff Rowell indicated that Zwink had shared the student’s location and vehicle details in a group chat that included an ICE agent.
Zwink was part of the Drug Task Force, comprised of various law enforcement agencies, including those from the City of Grand Junction and state and federal entities.
ICE subsequently detained Diaz Goncalves for 15 days before she was released on bond.
In a detailed statement addressing the incident, Rowell expressed his regret over the actions of the three sheriff’s office employees, noting they “acted outside of the agency’s policy.”
This review followed a lawsuit filed against Deputy Zwink by Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser.
The investigation also revealed that task force member Eric Olson had shared immigration information with federal agents as well.
Zwink is facing a three-week unpaid suspension, while Olson received a two-week suspension; both have been removed from the task force and reassigned to patrol duties. Sgt. Joe Lemoine received a two-day suspension.
Reports indicate that Zwink and Olson believe they were following standard procedures and were unaware of the new law.
Notably, Democratic Governor Jared Polis had signed this new legislation just two weeks prior to Diaz Goncalves’ arrest, which prohibits police from sharing specific information about individuals with federal immigration authorities.
Previously, such sharing restrictions only applied to state agencies, according to reports.
Earlier, during the Trump administration, a lawsuit was filed against Colorado for its sanctuary policies, which hindered enforcement of immigration laws; this was submitted in May.
Sheriff Rowell criticized the new law but also expressed discontent with the state attorney general’s lawsuit against Deputy Zwink, stating it “sent a disruptive message to Colorado law enforcement officers.”
