GOLDEN -- Colorado State Patrol's newly-formed Immigration Enforcement Unit began training Tuesday to focus on human smuggling and trafficking along the state's highways.

The 22-person unit will begin operating July 1. The five-week training course is made possible by an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

"It is our hope that these individuals sitting in the 287-G training class will be able to partner up with the local ICE officers and have a bigger impact on this (smuggling) problem," said Capt. Jon Barba, who will be in charge of the group.

Members of the unit must have lawful reason to pull over vehicles.

"This group of individuals is not going to be riding up and down the highways just looking for vans full of what appear to be Hispanics and pulling them over without probable cause," said Barba. "We've never operated like that and simply because we have this new unit, we still don't anticipate operating like that."

During its training course, the unit will receive in-depth instruction on topics including immigration law, civil rights and intercultural relations.

The enforcement unit was created by Senate Bill 225, which the state Legislature passed last year. The unit will be funded by state dollars and will join 16 other groups that concentrate on immigration enforcement around the country.