COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho – U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Acting Deputy Director Matthew Cantrell of the Seattle Field Office confirmed the agency’s June 2024 draft report, which listed Kootenai County Jail as ‘non-cooperative’, was inaccurate and issued an apology for the mistake.
In response to Captain Jeremy Hyle’s inquiry as to why Kootenai County Jail appeared as ‘non-cooperative’ on the ICE report, Cantrell stated, “I have been able to update the database containing the non-cooperative error. Kootenai County will no longer appear on the non-cooperative publication. I sincerely apologize for this error and thank you for your continued assistance.”
An uproar ensued across Idaho after two well-known Idaho conservatives shared an article published by the Center for Immigrations Studies (CIS) which listed Kootenai County as a ‘sanctuary county’ on its Sanctuary Map based on the ICE draft report dated June 21, 2024. CIS is a data-driven, conservative-leaning government watchdog group and created its first Sanctuary Map in 2015.
On Friday, the Kootenai Journal published information obtained from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office that showed it was not only honoring ICE Detainers, but currently maintains a Detention Services Intergovernmental Agreement which allows the county to house detainees for federal agencies on a per diem rate.
The information published by the Kootenai Journal was used by Lauren Walker on Friday evening during an X Space conversation with immigration hawks Theo Wold and Ryan James Girdusky, which Kootenai County Sheriff Bob Norris joined toward the end. Wold and Girdusky agreed that the nexus for the mass deportation plans of the next Trump administration will start with county sheriffs and commissioners entering into a 287-G agreement which deputizes local law enforcement with some federal policing authority to arrest based on legal status. Currently, out of 44 Idaho counties, only Power and Gooding have 287-G agreements. Sheriff Norris said he would not only work to get Kootenai County a 287-G agreement, but he would lobby the Idaho Sheriff’s Association to get all of Idaho’s counties on board.
