Idaho
Hundreds gather on Broadway Bridge in Idaho Falls to protest possible immigration raids – East Idaho News
Photo: Three Hispanic young women share messages about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) school raids and being raised by immigrant parents. The sign on the right says, “For my parents who came with nothing and gave me everything.” Video: Protestors thronged Broadway to voice opposition to federal U.S. immigration policy and tactics.| David Pace, EastIdahoNews.com
IDAHO FALLS — Several hundred people overflowed both sides of the Broadway Bridge in Idaho Falls on Saturday. The rally was to support families who may be targeted or broken up by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration raids as the federal government takes new measures to enforce immigration policy.
One young mother with a baby boy spoke on condition of anonymity because her father is an undocumented immigrant.
“Immigrants are the root of America. My dad, he’s been here since I was born — a farmworker,” she said. “We live in fear. My dad, you know our family right now; it’s a tough time for our community. It’s a tough time for our people.”
The woman said after 25 years living in the United States, her father couldn’t attend the protest in person because he fears being deported.
“He picks our potatoes that we eat. You know, they want to send him back to Mexico. They want to to send him back. And that’s my dad,” she said, breaking down in tears. “I’m here today for him because he couldn’t be here. I had my sign. He put his handprint on my sign.”
An EastIdahoNews.com reporter counted more than 350 supporters at the peaceful protest, located adjacent to the frozen waterfalls and Japanese Friendship Garden along the scenic Snake River in downtown Idaho Falls. No counter-protesters were noted at the site.
Signs such as: “School is for education, not deportation,” “They’re our neighbors,” and “Fight ignorance, not immigrants!” waved in the air, accompanied by cheers of “No fears! No hate! No ICE in our state!” and “Sí se puede!”
Other posters read: “We’re all immigrants,” “No human is illegal on stolen land,” “The Pilgrims were undocumented! #KnowYourHistory,” “We speak for those who can’t,” “Immigration reform,” and “Families belong together.”
Event organizer Shantelle Duran said Hispanics and other immigrants are “business owners, workers, students, friends and neighbors.”
“We are here today to stand against racial profiling and unjust immigration policies that target our communities,” she said. “… We contribute to this country just like everyone else. The American flag represents us, too, and we will not be intimidated into silence. Our message is clear — we are here, we are staying, and we will continue to fight for our rights.”
Idaho Falls City Councilman Jim Francis attended the event to better understand this part of our community.
“I’m a strong supporter of community policing in all of its full meaning — that anybody in this community should be secure from crime against persons and property,” Francis said. “So it’s not the primary responsibility of our police department to look at immigration status. It’s to protect all the people who live here.”
The Idaho Falls Police Department’s full policy on immigration violations is outlined in policy 414 (pages 216-218), which states that for immigration violations, “an officer is encouraged to forgo detentions made solely on the basis of a misdemeanor offense when time limitations, availability of personnel, issues of officer safety, communication capabilities or the potential to obstruct a separate investigation outweigh the need for detention.”
Local Idaho Falls officers inform a supervisor if anyone is “detained for a criminal immigration violation.”
In response to “federal immigration officials requests for assistance … the department may provide available support services such as traffic control or peacekeeping efforts.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement does operate throughout Idaho, but “I’m honestly not aware of anything locally that’s a massive raid,” Francis said.
Law enforcement in Bannock and Blaine counties recently released statements refuting rumors about ICE raids in their communities. Social media in eastern Idaho has been rife with raid rumors for the past several weeks, but there has been scant evidence of any large-scale operations in the area.
RELATED | Local sheriff issues statement about ICE conducting deportation ‘raids’
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The city’s police policy is designed to increase trust with the general public and minority groups.
“Because as soon as you create fear among community groups about law enforcement, then they won’t come forward and help you solve crimes, and that’s our job,” Francis said. “I don’t care if you’re a tourist here or somebody who’s lived here for your entire life; you deserve the same protection of law.”
The rally drew support from large numbers of cars who honked passing by.
Former Bonneville County Democrats Chairwoman Miranda Marquit said it’s the second-largest demonstration she’s seen in Idaho Falls in the past 10 years.
Despite little evidence of ICE raids in the area, many at the protest said its a very real fear for them.
The anonymous mother with the boy urged her fellow immigrants to be careful.
“There’s posts on the internet — if you’re undocumented, stay home. It’s just what’s best. … They can’t, they can’t do anything at your door,” she said. “Stay safe to all the immigrants out there, you know, not just the Hispanics, but the Portuguese — everybody — all the immigrants.”
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PAYETTE — A Payette mom’s bond was revoked Tuesday after she was charged with suffocating her twin children earlier this month and is believed to pose a danger to the life of her newborn child.
The case, which has drawn national headlines, concerns Andrea Renee Shaw, a 23-year-old Payette mother who in May 2025 said her 18-month-old fraternal twins died the same day, after receiving routine childhood vaccinations. In January, Shaw joined as a plaintiff in a federal lawsuit filed by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine organization founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with several other plaintiffs claiming vaccine injury or death.
Kennedy, who now serves as secretary of Health and Human Services, is no longer part of the group after taking on the cabinet position, as was reported by the Associated Press.
In Idaho, the twins’ deaths prompted a 14-month investigation by the Payette County Sheriff’s Department. On June 29, the investigation yielded a grand jury indictment of Shaw on two counts of first-degree murder by suffocation. If convicted, Shaw can be punished by up to life in prison or the death penalty, and the court would have the ability to order the penalties be served consecutively, or back to back.
Tuesday’s arraignment at the Payette County Courthouse was primarily attended by Shaw’s relatives and members of the media. Payette County Judge Kiley Stuchlik, who serves Idaho’s Third Judicial District, presided.
A key consideration for Stuchlik on Tuesday was a request from Joseph Filicetti, the legal counsel for Shaw, to have her bond reduced from $2 million to $100,000. Filicetti said this would allow for Shaw to care for a newborn girl, who, according to court documents, was born by caesarean section on June 25, four days prior to Shaw’s grand jury indictment.
State prosecutors objected to the motion for bond reduction, noting at hand was a potential death penalty case and asserting, unlike her husband, Shaw’s story repeatedly changed during questioning. Prosecuting Attorney Mike Duke said releasing Shaw would ultimately put the newborn’s safety at risk.
“That child is the most at risk. We do not think she should be allowed to be anywhere near any children, let alone her own children,” Duke said.
Stuchlik decided to revoke bond entirely, stating Shaw posed a “risk of safety” to the newborn child that was not known to Stuchlik or prosecutors when the $2 million bond was initially set.
Also for consideration Tuesday was a request to have grand jury transcripts of witness testimony provided to prosecutors and defense counsel to prepare their respective cases.
Idaho
Idaho is home to the nation's first DarkSky Reserve. Now it's home to the nations first DarkSky Certified Resort
IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – A controversy is brewing as the City of Idaho Falls reviews its alcohol ordinance.
The goal is to consolidate four existing ordinances for beer, wine and liquor into a single law and ensure compliance with state code.
However, at its meeting last Thursday, the Idaho Falls City Council unanimously voted to remove the proposed ordinance from its agenda, in order to receive and consider additional public comment.
The proposed ordinance would:
1. Require commercial establishments selling, dispensing or permitting consumption of alcohol – including beer, wine or liquor – to have an alcohol license, alcohol catering permit or a charitable event permit.
2. Business events with 20 or less employees consuming alcohol at the business would be allowed.
3. Require alcohol servers to complete training every three years.
4. Individuals who violate the law could be charged with a misdemeanor.
Idaho Falls City Council President Jim Francis said the changes were the culmination of months of collaboration between law enforcement, business owners and city attorneys.
“We wanted to provide a safe environment – the primary point here – for public gatherings,” Francis said. “We recognize that certain antiquated elements of the current code are overly restrictive and needed to be addressed. We wanted to make the code more accessible to the public. We needed to address over-pouring issues. We wanted to reduce penalties where possible for violations, particularly the first offenses, and yet make the code clear enough to be enforceable consistently by law enforcement.”
But City Council Member John Radford said the changes represent an overreach by city government.
“I believe it’s a bad policy. What problem are we solving in the name of trying to solve a non-problem?” Radford said. “We’re becoming big brother around alcohol in your private property. I’m concerned that landlords will be at risk of being charged with a misdemeanor if they knowingly, which I made sure that was in there, because that is what we’ve been talking about, allowed people to drink in our business. We will be outside the norm of Idaho cities. This is a big step, and I don’t think the public has weighed in on this.”
At a City Council Work Session on June 1, Idaho Falls Chief of Police Bryce Johnson cited an increase in alcohol-related crime – particularly downtown – as a reason for the changes.
“DUI is there, but this would include sexual assaults, assaults, batteries, disturbances, urination, public vandalism, shooting – all sorts of crimes,” Johnson said.
But business owners are concerned about the potential impact on commercial enterprises.
“The ordinance doesn’t address the real problem – which is people drinking … at one event and then showing up in a bar or restaurant already hammered and causing problems anyway,” ” said Terri Ireland, representing the Idaho Falls Downtown Merchants Association. “The industry is really well-regulated by state and local laws already.”
The City of Idaho Falls began the process of updating its alcohol ordinance in January 2026, seeking input from community stakeholders.
Multiple community members spoke out about the ordinance.
For more in-depth information, you can read the full 39-page proposed alcohol ordinance here.
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