Idaho taps $300K from emergency fund to transport illegal immigrant criminals to ICE
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) — The Idaho State Board of Examiners has unanimously approved $300,000 in funding to the Idaho State Police (ISP) for transporting convicted criminals who are in the country illegally to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers. The decision, made on Tuesday, allocates money from the Governor's emergency fund.
Chaired by Governor Brad Little, the board approved the funding without discussion, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun. The funds will enable ISP to begin transports under a new partnership with ICE.
In a letter to ISP Colonel Bill Gardiner requesting transport cost estimates, Governor Little asserted, "An untold number of illegal immigrants poured into our country across an unchecked border for years under the Biden Administration. But with President Trump back in the White House, we are seeing a solution to this public safety emergency as more and more dangerous criminals here illegally are being taken off our streets."
Earlier this month, ISP entered into the federal 287(g) program. This agreement grants ISP troopers the authority to transport hundreds of convicted criminals in the country illegally directly from Idaho jails to ICE facilities for deportation proceedings.
Governor Little has emphasized that the program will focus on removing "dangerous illegal alien criminals" from Idaho communities, targeting individuals who have already been convicted of a crime.
"I want to further strengthen our state’s partnership with President Trump to help address the national emergency posed by years of reckless border policies under the previous administration," Little reiterated in his letter.
ACLU of Idaho Expresses Disappointment
The partnership between ISP and ICE, along with the board's funding approval, has drawn significant criticism from the ACLU of Idaho.
"We are disappointed but not surprised that Idaho is directing money away from an emergency fund to support the increase in mass deportations of immigrants in our state, rather than spending it on actual emergencies," stated Rebecca De Leon, spokesperson for the ACLU of Idaho, to Local News 8.
Governor Little has maintained that the ISP-ICE partnership 'follows in the spirit' of House Bill 83, the Idaho Immigration Cooperation and Enforcement Act, which he signed into law on March 27. However, the ACLU of Idaho successfully halted the enforcement of this bill in late April after a federal judge granted a preliminary injunction in the case of IORC v. Labrador.
De Leon further criticized the state's priorities, commenting, "As our school buildings crumble, our child care system buckles, the funding gap for special needs education increases, prioritizing increased funds for transporting immigrants is not what we would consider fiscal responsibility. We call on our government officials to do better."
