Legal battle against Teller County Sheriff over immigration law to continue through February

TELLER COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- A resolution for the legal case against the Teller County Sheriff ended up not happening Thursday despite the case finishing in court.

After a three-day trial, a judge is now expected to issue a written ruling in late February.

Sheriff Jason Mikesell is being sued by six taxpayers accusing him of violating state law by holding undocumented immigrants in his jail.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) lawyers argued that holding inmates solely based on immigrants' status violates due process and state law.

Since 2019, Mikesesll has had an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That agreement - called a '287 G Agreement - allows Mikesell to hold undocumented immigrants at the request of federal authorities.

However, Mikesell's actions were called into question by a 2019 Colorado law called "Protect Colorado Residents From Federal Government Overreach."

The three-day trial wasn't the first time Mikesell had been in court regarding immigration. In August 2018, the ACLU argued the sheriff was violating the rights of a man who was held at the request of ICE in the Teller County Jail after being booked in on state crimes.

In that case, an El Paso County judge ruled in favor of Mikesell.

13 Investigates asked Mikesell and his attorneys for an interview Thursday. However, they said the couldn't speak on the case until the judge's ruling comes down.

Previous Coverage:

Day One: Teller County Sheriff faces ACLU lawsuit regarding his agreement with ICE
Day Two: The history of Teller County Sheriff’s battle in court over immigration enforcement