ACLU sues over Idaho ICE raid that detained 400, including U.S. citizens and children

(NationalFreedomPress.com) – A lawsuit reveals how American citizens, including a 3-year-old child, were detained for four hours without food or water during a massive ICE raid that turned a family gathering into a nightmare of constitutional violations.

Story Highlights

Over 400 people, including U.S. citizens and children, detained for four hours without food, water, or bathroom access during October 2025 ICE raid at Idaho family event
All detainees released after proving citizenship or legal residency—no criminal charges filed despite 200+ officers with military equipment deployed
ACLU files class action lawsuit alleging racial profiling, excessive force, and constitutional violations against federal, state, and local agencies
Lead plaintiff Juana Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, handcuffed in zip ties while her 3-year-old son cried for food and water

When Law Enforcement Becomes Lawless

On October 19, 2025, more than 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers descended on La Catedral arena in Wilder, Idaho, transforming a peaceful family event into what the ACLU describes as a constitutional nightmare. Approximately 400 spectators were detained for four hours in conditions that stripped them of basic human dignity. Detainees were restrained with zip ties, subjected to flashbang grenades and rubber bullets, and denied access to food, water, and bathroom facilities. Children as young as 3 years old were separated from parents and forced to witness law enforcement tactics typically reserved for active combat zones, not civilian gatherings.

American Citizens Caught in the Dragnet

The raid’s most troubling aspect is that every single detainee was ultimately released after proving U.S. citizenship or lawful permanent residency. No immigration violations were prosecuted, no criminal charges filed. Lead plaintiff Juana Rodriguez, an American citizen, spent hours handcuffed in zip ties while her 3-year-old son was forced to hold her pocket—turned inside out by officers—crying for food and water. The operation allegedly targeted illegal gambling and animal fighting, yet court documents make no mention of animal fighting charges, and the venue held a valid horse-racing license. None of the detained families were even questioned about gambling, revealing a troubling disconnect between the stated justification and actual enforcement activity.

Pattern of Overreach Emerges

This incident is not isolated. Federal judges in Chicago recently ruled that ICE violated a consent decree by conducting warrantless arrests of at least 22 individuals, including American citizens. In Washington and Oregon, federal courts found immigration authorities detained immigrants without due process and seized children without articulated legal reasons. A Senate Homeland Security Committee report documented multiple cases of U.S. citizen children detained by ICE and CBP agents, including children as young as 6 and 8 years old held at gunpoint. One 14-year-old was zip-tied over her mother’s objections. These patterns suggest systemic problems with how immigration enforcement is conducted, raising serious questions about whether constitutional protections mean anything when federal agencies decide to prioritize volume of detentions over targeted investigations.

Constitutional Rights Under Siege

The ACLU’s lawsuit, filed in February 2026, represents the first major legal challenge to ICE tactics in the second Trump administration. ACLU Deputy Director Jenn Rolnick Borchetta stated she has never seen such direct evidence of racial and ethnic targeting. The lawsuit seeks class action certification, a declaration that law enforcement violated federal law and constitutional rights, and damages for the trauma inflicted on families. Leo Morales, ACLU of Idaho Executive Director, noted that the children and mothers are traumatized for life, with federal, state, and local police turning a family-friendly event into a place of nightmares. The case raises fundamental questions about the proper balance between immigration enforcement and the Fourth Amendment protections that are supposed to shield American citizens from unreasonable searches and seizures.

Accountability or Continued Overreach?

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin defended the operation as targeting illegal enterprises, but her claims have been contradicted by court documents and investigative reporting. The deployment of 200+ officers with armored trucks and helicopters for an operation that resulted in zero prosecutions suggests either catastrophic intelligence failure or deliberate disregard for constitutional constraints. All 400 detainees proving citizenship or legal residency demonstrates that law enforcement cast an indiscriminate net over an entire community based on ethnicity rather than individualized suspicion. The lawsuit will test whether federal courts will impose meaningful limits on immigration enforcement tactics that sweep up American citizens and subject them to treatment more appropriate for enemy combatants than families attending community events. For Americans who value limited government and constitutional protections, this case represents a critical test of whether those principles apply equally to all citizens.