Every Idaho family has their favorite community traditions. When I was a kid, my parents took us to the drag races at Firebird Speedway and Boise State football games. Now, as a mom, my family still loves watching the Broncos and visiting the water park.

Whatever your version of family fun, you trust that a day out will not end in chaos. There is always the possibility of a few people breaking the law, but can you imagine the government using that as an excuse to send in hundreds of armed agents, detaining everyone in sight, zip-tying children, firing rubber bullets, and separating you from your kids?

That’s exactly what happened in Wilder.

Families had gathered for a licensed horse race when federal agents descended on the small town. Investigators suspected a few individuals were involved in illegal betting, a charge that could have been handled with focused arrests. Instead, the FBI brought in ICE, the Idaho State Police, and local law enforcement. Hundreds of agents swarmed the arena, even though only five people were suspected of crimes. The rest, including U.S. citizens, were caught in the chaos.

The images, videos, and witness accounts are horrific: children pulled from cars at gunpoint, a 14-year-old zip-tied, and an agent shouting at a terrified Idaho mother, “I’ll blow your [expletive] head off.” She was a law-abiding U.S. citizen.

ICE exploited what should have been a narrow criminal operation to target people based on their perceived ethnicity. The agency even issued a press release portraying the victims as criminals, a claim so false that the Canyon County Sheriff and Caldwell Police Chief publicly corrected it. Later, ICE released some detainees, but more than 100 people were taken to distant jails. Reports indicate that some of those held have legal work authorization.

This was not an accident. It reflects a strategy shaped by Donald Trump’s reckless immigration agenda. His regime continues to close legal pathways for those seeking lawful status, even luring people to court hearings only to deny their cases and arrest them outside the courtroom.

Now that agenda has come to Idaho. Children are missing parents, parents are missing spouses, and local businesses are missing workers. Who benefits from this cruelty? Who wants to see “war break out,” as one witness called it, at a community event?

We need law enforcement practices that make our communities safer. What happened in Wilder only breaks the trust between government and the people, leading to crimes going unreported and unsolved. And that makes everyone less safe.

Until ICE and the Republican leaders enabling these inhumane tactics are held accountable, this will keep happening. Idaho deserves better.

Onward,

Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair