In southwest Idaho FBI raid, officials zip-tied teens and used aggressive force, lawsuit alleges

A federal lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) alleges that a raid conducted by the FBI and local law enforcement in Wilder, Idaho, on October 19th involved aggressive tactics and the unjust detention of hundreds of people, including children. The lawsuit claims the operation, initially presented as an illegal gambling investigation, was used as a pretext for a large-scale immigration raid. According to the ACLU, over 200 officers arrived at La Catedral Arena “with armored trucks, flashbang grenades, and guns drawn,” and used militarized tactics, including zip-tying adults and teenagers, and denying detainees basic necessities like food, water, and medical attention for up to four hours.

The lawsuit details accounts of officers pointing guns at families, shooting rubber bullets, and using racial epithets. Plaintiffs, three Latino families legally residing in the U.S., claim they were treated as less than human. While the FBI initially denied zip-tying children, they later clarified that no “young children” were restrained. The FBI arrested five people on gambling charges, while ICE arrested 105 people for immigration violations. Seventy-five people have since been deported.

The ACLU lawsuit names the FBI, ICE, Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, and other local and federal officials, seeking a declaration of violations of Fourth and 14th Amendment rights and damages. The plaintiffs allege the raid violated their constitutional rights and instilled fear within the Latino community, with one plaintiff now hesitant to attend public events due to fear of law enforcement.

(Source：Lewiston Morning Tribune)