Riverton Police announce arrests made under ICE partnership

RIVERTON, Utah (ABC4) — Riverton City announced that it worked with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and apprehended several illegal immigrants.

In August, the Riverton Police Department (RPD) became the first department in Utah to sign an agreement with ICE.

According to Mayor Trent Staggs, the agreement allowed ICE to “enhance coordination with our federal partners in the field and strengthen our ability to investigate, apprehend, and address crimes connected to unlawful presence in the United States.”

Additionally, the agreement gave Riverton police officers the power to carry out limited federal immigration enforcement duties.

Today, Mayor Staggs announced that the Riverton Police Department worked with the ICE and apprehended three illegal immigrants on felony charges. According to his statement, RPD responded to a situation at a residence in the city on the evening of September 21, 2025.

When they arrived, they found that multiple individuals were yelling and fighting, and multiple vehicles were trying to leave the scene. RPD officers stopped two of the vehicles and learned that three males in those vehicles were connected to the altercation.

Reportedly, the three individuals had gang-related tattoos and could not provide any information, so RPD officers requested assistance from ICE.

ICE agents were able to confirm that the three males had illegally re-entered the country and had pending felony charges. All three individuals were taken into ICE custody and will have additional felony charges.

Staggs did not confirm if anyone else was arrested for this altercation or if anyone was injured during it. However, he stated, “This was a serious and disturbing situation, and I commend our Riverton Police Department for their quick response and effective work in detaining these dangerous individuals.”

He added, “I also appreciate the critical assistance from ICE agents. This partnership is a vital part of our effort to safeguard Riverton’s neighborhoods and ensure the rule of law is fully upheld. I encourage every law enforcement agency in the state to cooperate with ICE.”

Additionally, in a social media post, Mayor Staggs said, “For all of the far left crazies who have completely misrepresented our agreement with ICE, or worse, who have spewed vile, incendiary rhetoric against me or our PD just for wanting to enforce the law, I’ve got one question: would you want these violent criminals living next to you? I’m incredibly proud of our police and ICE and all they do to protect public safety.”