Idaho Gov. Announces Joint Operations with Immigration Enforcement Operations

Idaho’s Republican Governor Brad Little has announced a new agreement with federal immigration authorities to support President Donald Trump’s deportation agenda.

Little is teaming with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest any criminal illegals who have taken up residence in the Gen State. The agreement was created under the 287g authority of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

“287(g) is critically important to our strategy of having the enforcement that we need to really address the criminal activities that we’ve seen out on the ground,” said Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. “It has been wonderful to see people jump in and be a part of it to make sure that we have not just the authorities that we need to go out there and to work, but also to have the local knowledge and the people in the community that really want to be a part of the solution. We are looking for more agreements like that across the country, and we will continue to build on it.”

The federal 287(g) program has often been an afterthought in the fight against illegal immigration in past presidential eras, but as the Trump era continues to gear up, the federal government has made a major effort to enhance this program for the help locals can lend to immigration policies.

For example, as the Obama administration was winding down in 2015, there were only 34 local law enforcement agencies signed on through the 287(g) program, CNN reported.

RELATED: Exclusive: See Inside Trump’s Mass Deportation Program Targeting Gang Members, Criminal Aliens

But as of the end of April, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has signed program agreements with more than 450 local agencies, most being county sheriff’s departments.

Gov. Little stressed that this new agreement will help eliminate thousands of dangerous criminals from the state.

“Idaho is stepping up to help the Trump administration transport illegal immigrants with criminal histories out of our jails and to ICE facilities, where they will be deported out of our country,” Little said. “These criminals here illegally have committed crimes such as domestic violence, robbery, driving under the influence, and other dangerous activities that threaten Idaho families, but in counties across our state they are being released back into our communities after arrest. This is unacceptable. Idaho has taken many steps to increase our coordination with the Trump administration in the enforcement of our nation’s immigration laws, and I want to further strengthen our state’s partnership with President Trump to help address the national emergency posed by years of reckless border policies under the Biden-Harris administration.”

“I’m really encouraged to see Idaho making its communities safer by signing on with our 287(g) program,” Acting Director of ICE Todd Lyons added. “You have to remember that we’re talking about criminals — and often, they won’t take an arrest sitting down — so when local jails are allowed to turn them over to ICE in a safe setting, we don’t need to send dozens of federal law enforcement officers into the public to make arrests. Partnerships like this one keep offenders out of communities and protect our families, friends and neighbors.”

Just in recent weeks, ICE has worked with states including Florida, where 1,200 criminal illegals were removed, Tennessee, where an operation in Nashville netted 200 criminals, and Utah, where efforts in Salt Lake City nabbed 52 criminal illegals.

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