State police have transported 53 immigrants to ICE. What we know
BOISE (Idaho Statesman)— The Idaho State Police has transported 53 immigrants into Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody since the first transport on Aug. 7, according to a news release from Gov. Brad Little’s office. State police are working with ICE in what’s called a 287(g) agreement, under an expansive Task Force Model, which has drawn racial profiling concerns.
The model gives Idaho troopers the power to interrogate people believed to be immigrants, arrest certain immigrants and transport immigrants to ICE, though Little’s office has maintained that he instructed state police to transport only the “most violent and dangerous illegal aliens” who have completed their sentences.
Idaho State Police Col. Bill Gardiner previously said Little asked him to transport only just-released prisoners and not other immigrants, such as those who had been arrested but not convicted.
Gardiner attributed that to the governor’s desire to protect the local agriculture and dairy industries, which rely on immigrant labor.
“Gov. Brad Little proudly announced that his initiative, ‘Operation No Return,’ has successfully removed dozens of highly dangerous illegal alien criminals from Idaho communities,” the Friday news release said.
Little’s office first announced in June that state police would be operating under the “Jail Enforcement Model,” which lets officers identify and process immigrants who are in police custody after they were arrested on separate criminal charges.
The office later corrected that information after a Statesman reporter contacted them about the discrepancy.
Little’s office wanted Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to come to Idaho for a media event, according to emails obtained via a records request, at the “first of many outward facing media events highlighting the people we are getting out of Idaho.”
The office has not yet publicized any event with Noem.
Who were the Idaho immigrants sent to ICE? The 53 immigrants transported by state police come from a variety of backgrounds, from Mexico, to Guatemala, to Pakistan, to Laos.
Their alleged crimes vary. Some immigrants have committed fraud and given false information to law enforcement, according to the governor’s release.
Some have a DUI on their record. According to the release, one Mexican immigrant is listed only with what appear to be immigration crimes: inadmissibility and illegal re-entry.
The Governor’s Office listed another Mexican immigrant as committing a misdemeanor of disturbing the peace and driving without privileges.
Though that person was also charged with attempted strangulation and domestic battery in the presence of a child, the two charges were dropped shortly after they were filed, according to online court records. The first two charges were dropped soon after they were filed.
He was convicted three times of driving without privileges. Others are listed as having committed sexual assault, strangulation, drug trafficking or burglary.
The Statesman filed a records request with the Governor’s Office for the names and crimes of all of the immigrants transported by ICE on Sept. 5.
On Sept. 23, the Governor’s Office said it did not have a record that listed everyone transported by state police.
On Friday, the Governor’s Office announced a new dashboard with the names and crimes of the immigrants transported by state troopers into ICE custody.
It will be updated when new immigrants are transported, spokesperson Emily Callihan told the Statesman by text. The transports are funded by up to $300,000 from the governor’s emergency fund.
Idaho is not taking federal reimbursements for the money, because state police are not conducting arrests, spokesperson Joan Varsek told the Statesman by email.
The post State police have transported 53 immigrants to ICE. What we know appeared first on East Idaho News.
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