Idaho State Police has sent more than 50 immigrants to facilities for deportation

Idaho State Police have helped transport more than 50 people for Immigration and Customs Enforcement or ICE — many of those people were convicted of crimes, a couple appear to have been charged but their charges dismissed, and a few had been charged but they were transported before their cases finished. 

The Idaho Capital Sun reviewed available court records at the state and federal district for Idaho level related to all 53 immigrants that the Idaho Governor’s Office announced had been transported to ICE detention facilities; most of the alleged crimes could be verified, but many could not. 

Gov. Brad Little’s Office has named the initiative “Operation No Return,” and said in a press release that state police are “taking dangerous illegal alien criminals out of county jails after the completion of their sentences instead of being released back into Idaho communities. The transports are the first step necessary to remove them from the State of Idaho.” 

The Sun could not find any charges in state or federal court records for four people listed by the governor’s office for transport for deportation. There are a number of reasons records on convictions or charges couldn’t be found, including origination in another state, name spelling variations, and inconsistency in how names are entered into court records. There were at least four names found incorrectly spelled in the press release provided, and one entry did not include a first name. 

The state police assistance is under an agreement with ICE Little announced in June, in which the state authorized up to $300,000 to be spent to move undocumented immigrants in Idaho facilities into federal detention centers for deportation, the Sun previously reported. 

The transports have cost $12,275.01 through Sept. 13, Gov. Little’s Communication Director Emily Callihan told the Sun on Tuesday. 

ICE records on where the immigrants were detained were sparse. The Sun could only find records for nine immigrants named in the release, most of whom were detained in Nevada with two in Texas. 

Little said only most dangerous criminals would be targeted, but some immigrants have been transported out of state before they were convicted  

The majority of those transported had received criminal convictions that the Sun could verify. 

At least six of the people transported still appear to have cases open and pending, according to court records, with a few of the cases appearing to have issued warrants after the defendants didn’t show up to court. 

When Idaho officials announced the agreement with federal immigration authorities, Little’s office said the state would use what’s called a “jail enforcement model,” which involves only targeting and moving people in Idaho correctional facilities who have completed their sentence. 

However, the Idaho Statesman reported that, under the agreement signed, Idaho officers would use the “task force model,” which allows state police to question anyone about their immigration status and arrest people without a warrant if the officer has reason to believe the person is in violation of the law and likely to escape before a warrant can be obtained. 

The governor’s office said because the Idaho State Police does not run any jail facilities, it could not enter the jail enforcement model. 

Little has said the agreement is to target the “most dangerous” criminals, those who have committed crimes such as domestic violence, robbery and driving under the influence. 

Two of the men listed were charged with misdemeanor DUIs the same day this month and were transported before their cases came to an end. Both men, named Agustra Berto Diaz Gomez and Cleymar Gerardo Diaz Perez, were charged Oct. 5 and had pre-trial conferences scheduled for early November, according to court records. An ICE detainee search tool did not have records for either of them. 

Another person transported, Jose Huamacto Huanaco, was charged on Sept. 13 with a misdemeanor DUI, and his arraignment was scheduled for Oct. 27. 

Modesto Francisco Munoz was charged with a misdemeanor DUI in August. On Sept. 5, the court issued a warrant for failure to appear; his case is listed as inactive pending a warrant/detention order. 

Humberto Ramirez Esquivel was arrested in Idaho as a fugitive from Oregon, but the court waived extradition to Oregon in September. He was charged in Idaho for petit theft, but after not appearing in court, the last record in the case is an affidavit in support of a warrant submitted in May. 

In August, the city of Meridian sued Misael Mancilla Chacon. The court issued a summons on Aug. 22, which is listed as “unserved” and is the last activity recorded in the case. 

Wilmer Arley Suarez-Plata was charged in April with drug trafficking and petit theft; in August, his drug trafficking charge was dismissed. The petit theft case remains open, and a warrant was issued on Oct. 6. 

Antonio Ramirez Uribe was charged in September with a misdemeanor DUI, and his case also remains open with a warrant issued on Oct. 15. Luis Estrada Diaz was charged with a DUI and consuming or having an open alcoholic container as a driver in September; he is noted in court documents as failing to appear at his pre-trial hearing on Oct 8, and a warrant was issued on Oct. 10. 

A couple cases appear to show charges dismissed before ICE transport for detention 

In the press release, Henry Diaz-Escobar was accused of lewd conduct with a child under 16 and indecent exposure. Diaz-Escobar was charged in early February with lewd conduct with a child, but his case was dismissed by a judge on Sept. 25. The Sun could not find a record of the indecent exposure charge. 

Olegario Gonzalez Retiguin was charged in June with felony possession of a controlled substance, but the court dismissed the case on Aug. 22. The press release also cited assault charges, but those couldn’t be found in Idaho’s court record system.