‘Fear’ and ‘chaos’: Rumors of ICE in Idaho has groups, even law enforcement, speaking up
Linda Aguilar, supervisor at Pantera Market #4 in downtown Nampa, has seen the number of customers and sales drop since rumors started flying about possible Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Idaho.
The customers who do come in will ask whether what they are hearing is real: Have ICE agents been seen at the market?
No, Aguilar told the Idaho Statesman by phone Friday. Police sometimes patronize the business, but it’s not immigration officials.
“You can come,” Aguilar said, in Spanish. “It’s not true.”
Since President Donald Trump took office on Jan. 20 and his mandate of mass raids and deportations went into effect, online talk of ICE action in Idaho has increased dramatically. On Facebook and Reddit, people have shared what they say are sightings of ICE officers in places like Ketchum, Boise and Canyon County.
This leaves organizations and advocates dealing with anxious community members as they work to deliver good, factual information.
Plus, it’s not always simple to get official sources to talk.
“It’s really challenging,” said Margie Gonzalez, executive director of the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs. “If you try to call ICE it’s just like calling the IRS. ... It’s not easy to communicate.”
Immigrations and Customs Enforcement spokespeople have not responded to multiple requests for comment from the Idaho Statesman over the past week and a half about any possible activity in Idaho. The Statesman has not received any replies to its emails since Jan. 22.
Canyon County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Doug Hart said via a spokesperson that he had not noticed any changes in the number of people in the jail who have immigration holds. Those holds are a flag that ICE wants to speak with or investigate someone’s status, Hart said.
This week, the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office — home to Ketchum and Sun Valley — took to social media to dispel stories about raids there. Historically, ICE communicates with a local sheriff’s office when carrying out activities, but the office had not heard anything in weeks, Blaine officials wrote.
The Sheriff’s Office contacted ICE after hearing specific claims on Jan. 29 about raids outside businesses in Blaine County. ICE confirmed “no such operations” took place, the office wrote on social media.
“Unfortunately, bad actors often spread misinformation about deportation operations to create fear and manipulate vulnerable individuals,” the Blaine Sheriff’s Office said. “This tactic not only incites panic but also discourages victims from seeking help or cooperating with law enforcement.”
However, there’s trepidation based on the past, said Gonzalez, with the Idaho Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
Some Idahoans remember a time when ICE was present in the community and some families were held for deportation, she said. Children came home from school to no parents, she said.
“Families don’t forget that that easily,” Gonzalez said. “I think that fear is real.”
PODER of Idaho, a local group dedicated to immigrant and Latino communities, is trying to gather volunteers to check areas so they can determine whether ICE is really present, said the group’s executive director, Estefanía Mondragón.
PODER has put out videos explaining what type of information to share, Mondragón said — for example, verified information with a photo, video, date, time stamp and location. People can send information to PODER, and if the group deems it a threat, it can share the information with its networks.
“There’s a lot of fear within our community,” Mondragón said. “It’s absolute chaos right now.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2025 at 4:00 AM.
