The Idaho State Police have entered a new agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that allows state officers to assist in deporting individuals who have completed criminal sentences and lack legal immigration status. Under the federal 287(g) program, Idaho will bypass the standard release process and instead transport these individuals directly from state custody to ICE detention centers. State officials claim the policy targets only those already incarcerated and convicted of crimes.
Governor Brad Little has justified the move as a public safety measure and a way to align more closely with the Trump administration’s hardline immigration policies. He has cited offenses such as domestic violence, DUI, and robbery as reasons for prioritizing these deportations. The state is requesting $300,000 to fund up to 100 transport operations, pending approval from the Idaho State Board of Examiners.
Civil rights groups, particularly the ACLU of Idaho, have condemned the plan as harmful and discriminatory. They argue that this type of partnership erodes trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement, exacerbates family separations, and opens the door to civil rights violations. The ACLU warns that these policies do more to punish than protect — targeting individuals who have already served their sentences and often have deep roots in the community.
What is being marketed as a public safety initiative, is actually a dehumanizing policy that treats immigrants as expendable. Rather than addressing safety through support services, legal pathways, or fair reform, Idaho is investing in a deportation machine that fuels fear and division. These actions ignore the vital contributions immigrants make to Idaho’s economy and culture while feeding into a broader national agenda of exclusion and scapegoating.
The ACLU’s warning is clear: this partnership is not about public safety, but about turning Idaho into another frontline in a relentless and cruel war on immigrants.