The Fight

On October 19, 2025, more than 200 federal, state, and local officers conducted a mass raid at La Catedral Arena, a horse racing track in Wilder, Canyon County, Idaho. The event was a popular Sunday family gathering for Latino families. Though search warrants named only 5 targets in an FBI gambling investigation, officers detained approximately 400 people — including U.S. citizens, legal residents, and children — and arrested 105 for alleged immigration violations. The ACLU filed a class-action lawsuit (Rodriguez v. Porter) in February 2026 alleging massive civil rights violations.

Key Details

The Raid (October 19, 2025)

• Location: La Catedral Arena, Wilder, Canyon County, ID (near Idaho-Oregon border)
• Agencies: ICE, FBI, Idaho State Police, Canyon County Sheriff’s Office, Caldwell PD, Nampa PD, Treasure Valley Metro Violent Crime Task Force
• Force used: Armored trucks, helicopters, flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets, guns drawn
• Detained: ~400 people held for 4+ hours without food, water, or bathroom access
• Arrested: 105 people for immigration violations
• Deported: ~75 people (per attorney estimates as of Nov 2025)
• Released: 26 people (as of Nov 2025)
• Warrant scope: Named only 5 targets in an illegal gambling investigation; warrants made no mention of immigration enforcement

Abuses Documented

• Parents and children zip-tied at gunpoint
• Rubber bullets fired into occupied vehicles
• Racial slurs used by officers
• Detainees sorted by “perceived immigration status” based on skin color
• People forcibly dragged from cars
• Officers denied bathroom access for hours

Named Plaintiff

• Juana Rodriguez — U.S. citizen born in Idaho, detained with her 3-year-old son (also a U.S. citizen)

Criminal Case

Only 5 people faced gambling charges:

• Alejandro Torres Estrada, Cesar Iniguez Orozco, Dayana Fajardo (illegal gambling)
• Samuel Bejarano Colin, Ivan Tellez (gambling + wagering information transmission)

The Lawsuit: Rodriguez v. Porter

• Filed: February 10, 2026, U.S. District Court of Idaho
• Plaintiffs: Three Latino families (U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents), class action
• Defendants: ICE, FBI, Idaho State Police, Canyon County Sheriff, Caldwell PD, Nampa PD
• Claims: Fourth Amendment (unlawful detention), Fourteenth Amendment (racial discrimination)
• Legal theory: Federal agents conspired with state/local officers to violate civil rights protections; used criminal warrants as pretext for immigration “fishing expedition”
• Court action: In November 2025, Federal Judge B. Lynn Winmill ordered 16 detainees released, citing due process violations

Why It Matters

This is one of the largest documented cases of a pretextual mass immigration raid in the current enforcement wave. The legal theory — that federal agents weaponized local law enforcement cooperation to conduct a racially-targeted immigration sweep under cover of a criminal warrant — could set precedent for challenging similar operations nationwide. The raid also illustrates how Canyon County’s deep IGSA/ICE cooperation infrastructure enabled rapid mass detention.

Sources

• The ICE Raid in Idaho Was Jarring — Marshall Project (Feb 2026)
• Idaho families sue over immigration raid — NBC News
• ACLU: A Sunday at an Idaho Racetrack — ACLU (Feb 2026)
• 105 detained in federal raid at Wilder horse track — KIVI
• Five charged in federal complaints — Idaho Press
• Lawyer: About 75 deported, 26 released — KTVB