In response to the recent ICE raid in Wilder that left families zip-tied, children separated from parents, and even U.S. citizens detained, Idaho Democratic Party Chair Lauren Necochea released the following statement:
“What happened in Wilder was government overreach at its worst. Hundreds of agents descended on a small community, zip-tied adults and minors, fired rubber bullets into a peaceful crowd, and separated children from their parents, all over an alleged unlicensed betting operation involving only a handful of people. Those few could have been arrested directly. The vast majority of those detained had nothing to do with the alleged crime. It was inhumane, unnecessary, and dangerous. When government power goes unchecked, no community is safe. Governor Little promised that coordination with Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state police would focus on criminals. Instead, innocent families, including U.S. citizens and children, were targeted and traumatized. The Trump regime’s reckless approach to immigration closes legal pathways and punishes law-abiding people, tearing families apart for no purpose other than fear and control. Idaho’s Republican leaders are now enabling that same moral failure. If the government can treat families like this in Wilder, what stops them from doing it anywhere else? Governor Little owes Idahoans an explanation and must end his cooperation with these cruel tactics.”
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