Record Number of ICE Transfers Reported by El Paso County

By Cleo Westin | Colorado Politics

Twenty six people with criminal charges were transferred from the custody of the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement from July to September, according to a news release by the office Monday.

Deputies also detained 14 additional individuals with criminal charges who were released “before ICE authorities could take custody.”

Wednesday’s announcement brings the total number of people transferred into ICE custody by the office this year to 45, according to several releases by the office.

The sheriff’s office transferred 14 people to ICE custody in September, which is higher than any other month this year. The next highest months were April and July which each had seven transfers.

“As we approach the 2026 Legislative Session, I urge the Governor and members of the legislature to recognize the critical need for law enforcement to work in coordination with our federal partners to hold individuals accountable for criminal behavior,” El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal stated in the release.

Roybal had claimed during the first transfer announcement of the year in May that he would enter into an agreement with ICE to authorize every deputy to perform specified actions done by an immigration officer, according to previous reporting by The Gazette.

In Colorado, no law enforcement agency has an active 287(g) application and the Teller County Sheriff’s Office remains as the only one with an active agreement, according to ICE records updated Wednesday afternoon.

The 26 people transferred to ICE custody and their charge

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