BOISE (Capital Sun of Idaho) On Tuesday, a $300,000 request to fund Idaho State Police to transport criminally convicted individuals who lack legal authorization to be in the United States to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facilities for deportation was approved by a board led by Idaho Governor Brad Little.
At a meeting Tuesday morning at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, the Idaho State Board of Examiners unanimously approved the proposal without any debate.
The Governor’s Emergency Fund will provide up to $300,000 in funding to reimburse Idaho State Police officers for transporting detainees to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities.
The vote on Tuesday was important because state officials stated that funding approval was required before the first ICE transportation could start. Transports to ICE detention centers can now start as financing has been granted.
Idaho to participate in 287(g) immigration program
On June 5, Little revealed the new collaboration between ICE and Idaho State Police.
RELATED | ICE and Idaho State Police collaborate to deport prisoners who have no valid reason to be in the United States.
As previously reported by the Idaho Capital Sun, Idaho is taking part in the jail enforcement model under the 287(g) program, which permits ICE to assign certain immigration-related tasks to state or local law enforcement organizations like the Idaho State Police.
According to InvestigateWest, the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office was the first department in Idaho to collaborate with ICE prior to Idaho State Police.
RELATED | An Idaho county joins an ICE partnership to enforce immigration law
State officials stated earlier this month that they will only target and transport those who have been convicted of a crime in Idaho and are nearing the end of their term or jail time when the Idaho State Police cooperation was revealed.
According to state officials, those individuals will be taken to an ICE detention facility, like the Jefferson County Detention Center in Rigby, after serving their time, rather than being released back into society.
Little stated that Idaho would target those convicted of severe crimes and felonies, as well as those guilty of the misdemeanor of driving under the influence.
In a written statement on June 5, Little stated that Idaho is supporting the Trump administration’s efforts to transfer dangerous illegal alien offenders to ICE facilities rather than allowing them to return to our communities. These are individuals who have engaged in risky behaviors that endanger Idaho families, including robbery, driving under the influence, and domestic abuse. In order to help address the national emergency brought on by years of careless border policies under the Biden-Harris administration, I want to further solidify our state’s partnership with President Trump. Idaho has taken numerous steps to improve our coordination with the Trump administration in the enforcement of our country’s immigration laws.
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It was not immediately apparent how many people in Idaho would be processed for deportation or which specific individuals would be singled out and sent for deportation.
But according to state officials, the ICE agreement will allow them to transfer hundreds of people.
ICE in Idaho faces some pushback
During Tuesday’s Idaho State Board of Examiners meeting, there was no public comment or discussion regarding the new partnership between the Idaho State Police and ICE.
Nonetheless, a number of speakers and demonstrators voiced their opposition to ICE raids and carried anti-ICE posters during Saturday’s No Kings Day demonstration against President Donald Trump at the Idaho State Capitol.
The new collaboration between ICE and the Idaho State Police has also drawn criticism from representatives of the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho.
Leo Morales, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, stated in a written statement on June 5 that ICE and local law enforcement cooperation damage families, undermine trust, and may result in constitutional breaches. Our immigrant community will be genuinely traumatized and intimidated by this new cooperation. Our communities are strengthened by immigrants, and they should be treated with respect. The reality that immigrants belong in Idaho will never be altered by anything.
The ACLU of Idaho sued to overturn parts of House Bill 83, a Texas-style immigration statute, which is being implemented by the new Idaho State Police/ICE cooperation.
Little signed an executive order urging the state to continue working with ICE and urging state agencies to help enforce immigration laws prior to announcing the new relationship between the Idaho State Police and ICE.
According to a 2024 analysis from the University of Idaho’s McClure Center for Public Policy Research, immigrants who lack the legal right to remain in the country have a significant role in Idaho’s economy and agricultural sector.
Ninety percent of dairy employment are held by Spanish-speaking workers who were not born in the United States, many of whom do not have the legal right to be in the country, according to the Idaho dairy sector, which has sales of around $11 billion.
The governor, attorney general, and secretary of state of Idaho, with the state controller acting as the secretary, comprise the Idaho State Board of Examiners. The Idaho Constitution established the Idaho State Board of Examiners, which is empowered to investigate any allegations against the state, with the exception of lawfully fixed official salaries and remuneration.
