As public outcry against ICE rises following the shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, a Colorado sheriff and prominent Republican in the state fears that the public’s perception of the way ICE officers are conducting themselves could hurt the reputation of local police and sheriff’s departments like his own.
During a Jan. 26 appearance on KNUS Radio’s Dan Caplis Show, Weld County Sheriff and County Commissioner candidate Steve Reams spoke to the impact that ICE’s activity could have on how the public sees local law enforcement.
“Let’s say we go to assist ICE — are we lumped in with that same group? There’s that lack of respect for ICE; does that carry over to local law enforcement?” said Reams during the appearance. “You know, when ICE is viewed on equal ground as any other law enforcement officer, that’s troubling, and that creates a slippery slope effect for those of us that are working at the local law enforcement level.”
A frequent guest and occasional guest host on the program, Reams has previously spoken in support of the Trump administration’s mass deportation effort, and defended the actions of the officer who killed Renee Good on a Jan. 8 radio appearance also on the Dan Caplis Show.
Reams did not respond to the Colorado Times Recorder’s questions regarding the comments.
Throughout his conversation with the show’s host, he reaffirmed his support for ICE’s mission and the officers involved in Alex Pretti’s death, stating that “they need to be given the opportunity to state their case and plead their case in an investigation and let that system work itself out. I just hope that citizens can be patient enough to allow that to occur the way it should.”
Earlier in the interview, he offered a defense of the Jan. 24 shooting by pointing to how distracting the sound of whistles being blown could be for the officers.
“When you’re talking about the whistle-blowing and all the noise and the chaos that was created around this incident, that’s by design by the protesters, the rioters,” said Reams. “They are trying to get in the head of the law enforcement officers and create what we call auditory exclusion, where they can’t tell what’s going on. Their ears are basically shut off to protect their sanity if you will.”
Reams has also been a vocal defender of concealed carry rights and frequently speaks publicly against legislation that would restrict gun ownership.
Elected as Weld County sheriff in 2014, Reams received the support of musician and conservative activist Ted Nugent during his reelection campaign in 2020. He is currently running for Weld County commissioner in the 2026 election.
