By Rana Jones
Kemmerer Gazette
Via- Wyoming News Exchange

KEMMERER —  Community members packed the latest city council meeting, in which Kemmerer City Councilmember Brantley Popp expressed gratitude for the community’s presence. 

“It was wonderful to see a packed house,” Popp said. 

Despite a light agenda, discussions stretched well into the evening. “Obviously these were big, important topics for the community,” Popp said. 

The meeting began with a presentation from Sabot, a consulting firm specializing in jail and detention center compliance, regarding the potential establishment of an Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention center in Kemmerer. 

“This presentation was the hot-button issue of the night,” Popp said. 

During the lengthy presentation, Sabot fielded questions from both councilmembers and residents. However, the responses did not resonate well with some of the audience. 

“The answers were not that appealing; they were not that impressive to us,” Popp told the Gazette, adding that both the council and the community were largely opposed to the idea. 

Sabot’s co-founder, Darren Chiappinelli, detailed the regional need for approximately 900 detention beds and outlined facility requirements, including proximity to Salt Lake City, access to medical services, 50 acres of land, and city water capacity for 100,000 gallons per day. 

Acknowledging potential infrastructure challenges, Chiappinelli said, “We would have to figure out financial solutions to fix that problem.” 

When asked why Salt Lake City was not considered, he said, “There has been some friction between ICE and Salt Lake.” 

He also noted that Uinta County’s population had declined to host a facility. 

Councilmember Mark Quinn reminded the consultants that community approval is essential. He then inquired about the intended detainees, to which the consultants responded that while international terrorists were unlikely to be housed at such a facility, most occupants would be illegal immigrants. 

Popp, while supportive of growth and economic development, remained unconvinced. 

“It is not a good fit for Kemmerer; it is not something I agree with,” he said, emphasizing strong community opposition. 

“The council decided we are not going to touch this at all,” Popp said. “The ICE detention facility is not going to happen here. There is no need to worry about it being built in our community.” 

Popp further argued that the facility’s drawbacks outweigh any potential benefits.