The parent agency of ICE is leasing new space in Meridian. What we know
The Department of Homeland Security is leasing space in the Portico North building near St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center, a hospital spokesperson told the Idaho Statesman on Wednesday. Property assessment records show that St. Luke’s owns the building.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is part of the Department of Homeland Security. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately return a request for comment Wednesday.
The building is not used for clinical care, St. Luke’s spokesperson Christine Myron said in an email. The lease’s existence was reported by Wired, a news outlet that shared a list of planned ICE expansion locations in an article on Tuesday.
“St. Luke’s has worked with a variety of organizations, including the General Services Administration, over the years to temporarily lease unused office space,” Myron said in the email. “Last fall, GSA signed a lease for the Department of Homeland Security to utilize administrative office space in the Portico North office building near Franklin and S. Eagle Road.”
The office is at 3330 E. Louise Drive in Meridian.
Myron did not immediately respond to the Statesman’s additional questions.
A spokesperson for the General Services Administration mentioned ICE in a statement provided to the Statesman in response to an inquiry about the purpose of the lease.
“GSA is committed to working with all of our partner agencies, including our patriotic law enforcement partners such as ICE, to meet their workspace needs,” the spokesperson said by email. “GSA remains focused on supporting this administration’s goal of optimizing the federal footprint, and providing the best workplaces for our federal agencies to meet their mission. GSA is following all lease procurement procedures in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations.”
As the Statesman was looking into reports of a new ICE facility, at least one local law enforcement agency expressed surprise.
“To my knowledge the HSI/ICE facility in Boise is more than adequate and I can’t imagine why they would move or add a facility,” Meridian Police Patrol Lieutenant Brandon Frasier wrote in an email to the Statesman.
The Wired article reported that ICE and the Department of Homeland Security had “carried out a secret campaign” to expand across the country. The outlet reported that many new facilities were near sensitive locations like medical offices.
In Idaho, immigration enforcement has ticked up and ICE agents have changed their tactics, including by smashing windows. In October, the FBI and ICE raided a horse track and arrested 105 immigrants, at least three of whom were legally allowed to be in the U.S., according to their attorney. The American Civil Liberties Union sued over the raid on Tuesday, alleging that officers acted violently, hurled racial slurs and largely withheld food, water, bathrooms and medical care in their targeting of Latino Idahoans.
Rose Evans contributed reporting.
This story was originally published February 11, 2026 at 5:41 PM.
