ACLU Files Lawsuit Over Idaho Immigration Raid, Releases Documentary of Detained Families
Federal and local agents detained approximately 400 people, including U.S. citizens and children, at a horse-racing event in rural Idaho.
What happened
More than 200 federal, state, and local agents conducted an immigration raid at La Catedral Arena in Wilder, Idaho, detaining around 400 people. Detainees included U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, children, and grandparents. According to accounts provided to the ACLU, agents violently detained attendees, zip-tying them and using force including pointing guns and firing rubber bullets; some detainees were denied food and water and forced to urinate in public. The ACLU, alongside law firms Cooley LLP and Stoel Rives LLP, filed suit against coordinating federal, state, and local officers on behalf of three Latino families (including children ages 3 to 16) and a proposed class of all detained attendees, alleging violations of Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable detention and equal protection rights. On October 19, the one-year anniversary of the raid, the ACLU released a documentary titled "Wilder Raids" documenting the experiences of detained clients and the raid's impact on families and the community.
Context
Wilder is a small, majority-Latino agricultural community in southwest Idaho known for Mexican cultural events including horse races and rodeos. The lawsuit characterizes the raid as part of a broader pattern under the second Trump Administration in which federal agencies collaborate with local law enforcement to use narrow criminal warrants for mass immigration enforcement targeting Latinos. The case raises constitutional questions about detention authority, ethnic discrimination in law enforcement, and the accountability of officials coordinating immigration operations. The detention of U.S. citizens and lawful residents at a family community event, combined with the reported use of force against children and denial of basic necessities to detained parents and young children, frames the dispute over what legal authority and procedures governed the operation.
What's disputed
The sources present accounts from detained individuals and their legal representatives regarding the conduct of agents and conditions of detention. No contradictory account from law enforcement or government officials is included in the provided excerpts.