‘Backing the Blue’? GOP lawmakers ignore police concerns on immigration bills
Boise Democratic Rep. Brooke Green has been married for more than 20 years to her husband — an Ada County sheriff’s deputy.
In her time as a lawmaker, she said she has seen the unrealistic expectations that legislators from both parties place on local law enforcement agencies.
But this year, some Republicans are upending the perceived pro-police stance of their party when it comes to immigration bills. They have introduced a raft of such legislation, from collecting hospital patient immigration status to requiring all employers to verify a worker’s eligibility.
Idaho law enforcement have chafed against three of those bills: prohibiting the harboring or concealing of some immigrants; requiring every agency in the state to apply for a 287(g) cooperation agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and collecting the immigration status and nationality of every person arrested.
All three bills were shelved or shot down, but Senate leadership brought the 287(g) and arrest data measures back last week, in the waning days of the 2026 legislative session.
To Green, what is happening is that some people are doubting what law enforcement officers are telling them, which is that they already are working with ICE. She said it’s a small group of lawmakers.
“And that small group, unfortunately, is very loud,” Green said. “The narrative of ‘Backing the Blue’ still stands with many of my colleagues.”
But that distrust has forced police into defense mode, she said.
Idaho sheriffs and police officials have spoken out over and over against the bills, arguing that they are unnecessary and an overreach from state government.
The sponsor of a previous bill to require every law enforcement agency in the state to verify the immigration status and nationality of those arrested said he didn’t reach out to law enforcement about the legislation. Officers complained it would duplicate work and take time away from policing.
On the 287(g) bills, law enforcement expressed frustration over what they called an unfunded mandate. Law enforcement said they already cooperate with ICE.
On Monday, multiple law enforcement officials lined rows of chairs in both the Senate Judiciary and Rules and Senate State Affairs committee rooms to repeat their points on the reborn Republican bills. But in those committee rooms, the majority of GOP members voted to advance the legislation.
Sen. Ben Adams, R-Nampa, looked directly out at the officers Monday afternoon as he acknowledged their opposition to various bills. He said he’d be voting to move the 287(g) bill forward, in this case to the Senate for changes the sponsor wanted to add.
“It’s their obligation to step up and it’s also ours,” Adams said. “I have immense appreciation for our sheriffs. ... It’s important to the voters, here in Idaho and Canyon County.”
Longtime Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue has opposed several of the bills.
The sponsor of the 287(g) bill, Senate Pro Tem Kelly Anthon, R-Declo, told the Idaho Statesman on Monday that his bill was intended to address how law enforcement interact with federal immigration enforcement.
“I don’t think this is a question as to whether or not we support our police officers,” Anthon said. “It’s a policy question to me. I think the policy should be that every law enforcement agency in the state of Idaho should support that effort.”
Donahue previously told the Statesman that in the past few years, more lawmakers haven’t been working with or listening to Idaho law enforcement, and said they “don’t want to hear our opposition to crappy bills.”
“As law enforcement, even though I’m a politician, I don’t feel that I should have to have political sway,” Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford told the Statesman in an interview on March 25. “It should be a working relationship.”
Sen. Brandon Shippy, R-New Plymouth, one of the GOP legislators who has voted against immigration bills, said “there seems to be, perhaps, a lack of cooperation” between lawmakers and sheriffs.
“It does provide an interesting dynamic, because on many issues, the minority party will have tougher questions to law enforcement,” Shippy said. “But on this issue in particular, it seems like it’s been kind of the other way.”
During discussion about the arrest data bill on the House floor, Boise Democratic Rep. Steve Berch said, “I stand with law enforcement,” and voted against the legislation. Green joined in with a similar sentiment.
“So we’re going to play that game, huh,” House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, responded, before voting in favor of the bill.
This story was originally published March 31, 2026 at 8:39 AM.
