Idaho Gov. Brad Little authorizes Idaho National Guard to support ICE

Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced Friday that he has authorized the Idaho National Guard to provide support to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, commonly known as ICE.

The governor’s authorization activates up to 14 Idaho National Guard personnel to support ICE, beginning immediately and continuing through Nov. 15 according to a news release. 

“As Commander in Chief, I am proud that the Idaho National Guard always stands ready to support our federal partners in any capacity that strengthens public safety and national security,” Little said in a statement issued Friday. “Our guardsmen are trained, disciplined and committed to serving the people of Idaho and the nation.” 

The authorization is the latest in Little’s efforts to support ICE activity in Idaho. 

In June, Little announced that Idaho State Police will partner with ICE to help transport unauthorized immigrants who’ve been convicted of crimes to detention centers for deportation. The first ICE transports under the new partnership occurred Thursday, according to the governor’s office. 

Immigration arrests and detentions in Idaho have risen steeply in 2025, the Idaho Capital Sun reported this week, increasing from 41 reported arrests by ICE agents in Idaho between January and June 2024 to 368 reported arrests during the same period this year. 

In the Kootenai County jail, the number of border patrol holds has soared this year, though public records indicate that many individuals who have been booked into the county jail have not been convicted of any crime. 

In years past, as few as two or three people a month were jailed in Kootenai County due to their immigration status. Local arrest numbers have increased as ICE has expanded its enforcement priorities in response to the Trump administration’s orders. 

A total of 135 people were booked into the Kootenai County jail on a border patrol or immigration hold between Jan. 1 and May 20, according to public records, with more arrests occurring each week. 

While 44 of those 135 people were contacted by law enforcement and arrested in North Idaho, mostly in Kootenai and Shoshone counties, the remaining two-thirds were arrested in Washington or Montana and transported to Kootenai County for holding. 

People arrested on border patrol or immigration holds are typically held in the Kootenai County jail for a day or so before they’re transferred to the Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma, a privately run immigration prison operated on behalf of ICE.