BOISE, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Idaho state governor, Brad Little, announced Thursday that the Idaho State Police (ISP) have agreed to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the 287(g) program to transport illegal alien criminals from Idaho, according to a press release from the governor’s office.

The program allows ICE to assign state and local law enforcement the authority to use certain immigration procedures. Procedures will be used with the direction of ICE, under a signed agreement.

“Idaho is stepping up to help the Trump administration transport dangerous illegal alien criminals to ICE facilities instead of being released back into our communities. These are people who pose the greatest danger to Idaho families. 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,” Little explained.

The state will only target those who have been convicted of a crime and are finishing their sentence at local jails.

Frequently, when an illegal criminal is released from jail, ICE does not have the resources needed to transport them to a facility for deportation which leads to criminals being let back into local communities. ISP will be authorized to transport up to 100 criminals over the next 12 months to a detention facility in Jefferson County.

With more dangerous criminals, ICE is allowed to transport them to out-of-state facilities.

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MERIDIAN, Idaho — Meridian Mayor Robert Simison took to the stage Wednesday to address his community in the annual State of the City. He outlined his vision for Idaho’s second-largest city, emphasizing investment in public safety, transportation, and economic development amid the rapid growth in Meridian Neighborhoods.

“We have been taking steps to address these issues where possible, with my direction of reducing or holding our spending flat on discretionary expenses over the last several years. Yet expenses continue to grow, and the revenues aren’t able to keep up,” said Mayor Simison.

96th annual Meridian Dairy Days returns to Storey Park

Transportation remains a top concern, as the Linder Road Overpass project breaks ground, Eagle Road is expecting slower speeds in the fall, and ITD continues progress on Highway 16.

With over 4,500 new residents in 2024, Simison is looking to strengthen public safety departments. He proposed a levy for the November ballot to fund police recruitment, firefighter positions, and new in-house prosecution services.

“If we are going to attract the best talent from the start and retain the people who we have made huge investments in the Meridian Police Department, we need to increase the wages to our sworn officers,” said Mayor Simison.

The public safety levy needs to be approved by Meridian’s City Council before voters can see it on their ballot in November. Mayor Simison says the community will have the chance to weigh in on the levy’s details in the coming months.

On the economic front, Meridian reports adding over 1,800 jobs last year, with average wages rising nearly 5%. Simison also outlined a bold vision to make the city Idaho’s healthcare education hub, citing investments from Grand Canyon University and Idaho State University.

Closing his speech, Simison stressed the importance of investing in youth, businesses, and infrastructure to ensure Meridian’s continued success.

“As we look to the future, we will see the need for more transportation projects, rising costs, and shrinking revenue. We will also see growing healthcare needs, public safety challenges, legislative changes, and more. When that happens, I will say “Challenge Accepted,” said Mayor Simison.

IDAHO CITY. IDAHO — Like the food banks in Horseshoe Bend and Parma, the folks who run the food pantry in Idaho City are concerned about federal cutbacks.

Theresa Teneyck runs the Food Pantry at the center and says she tries to remain positive, but is also realistic about what USDA cutbacks would mean for her neighbors who need food assistance.

“People are concerned,” Teneyck said. “We hear ‘I can’t do anymore if I lose my insurance, if I lose my food.’ It’s a concern.”

Sherry Crowell has been coming to the Idaho City Senior Center for years. “I get a thousand dollars a month and I have to live that.”

Crowell comes to exercise, play games, laugh with friends, and, yes, get food assistance. I asked her where she and her husband would be without it. “We would be hurting,” she said. “We’d be hurting more. We get a lot out of here — in the senior boxes, they give you meal plans and ways to cook food, you get ideas.”

Teneyck echo’s what we showed you in recent weeks in Parma, and Horseshoe Bend — smaller rural food pantries are limited.

“People in Idaho City have one choice, people in Boise can have a little more choice,” Teneyck said. “People in Idaho City have no means of transportation and they don’t own cars. I have people who come on their bicycles, or they walk with a backpack to get to the foodbank.”