Colorado AG Sues Deputy for Assisting ICE Arrest of Utah Student

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser has filed a lawsuit against Mesa County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexander Zwinck for violating the state's sanctuary laws by cooperating with federal immigration officials in the arrest of 19-year-old University of Utah nursing student Caroline Dias Goncalves. The deputy pulled over Dias Goncalves for a minor traffic violation, then shared her personal information, including driver’s license and vehicle registration, via a Signal group chat containing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, which led to her arrest for an expired visa. Although she had no criminal record, Dias Goncalves was detained for over two weeks before being released. Weiser emphasized that Colorado law prohibits local law enforcement from assisting federal immigration enforcement and aims to keep state resources focused on public safety rather than immigration enforcement. The lawsuit seeks a court order to prevent Zwinck from repeating such conduct and highlights concerns that cooperation with federal immigration efforts undermines public trust and deters community members from accessing state services. The sheriff’s office has placed Zwinck on administrative leave following the incident.