A federal civil rights lawsuit is challenging a large-scale October raid at a popular horse racing venue in Canyon County, Idaho, alleging that children — including U.S. citizens — were zip-tied and traumatized during a sweeping law enforcement operation, CBS News reports.
The action, carried out at La Catedral Arena, resulted in the detention of 105 undocumented immigrants and has ignited a broader debate over immigration enforcement tactics used under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue initially praised the operation, describing it as a successful effort that led to the apprehension of more than 100 undocumented immigrants. He also rejected claims that officers restrained children with zip ties during the raid.
However, after being shown photographs obtained by CBS News, Donahue responded differently. The images appear to show zip ties and bruising on the wrists of 14-year-old SueHey Romero, a U.S. citizen who had been caring for her younger siblings, ages 6 and 8, when officers in tactical gear swept through the event and confined attendees to the racetrack.
“God bless her. I’m sorry she went through that,” Donahue said. The sheriff, who participated in the raid on horseback, defended the broader operation. “But law enforcement is not evil because we contained everybody and detained them until we sorted it out. That’s not evil.”
The use of armored vehicles and flashbang grenades at a family recreation event has raised concerns about aggressive enforcement strategies. On Tuesday, the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit in federal court, accusing authorities of mistreating families — many of them American citizens of Hispanic heritage — who had gathered for a weekend outing.
The events in this farming community about an hour from Boise have received less national attention than similar immigration operations elsewhere, including in Minnesota. There, federal agents’ conduct involving children has drawn intense scrutiny. In one reported case, a family alleged that tear gas canisters were deployed beneath a vehicle carrying six children. Another widely circulated image showed 5-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos wearing a hat with bunny ears and holding a Spiderman backpack as he was taken into custody.
The ACLU argues that what happened in Idaho reflects a troubling trend in which children are exposed to forceful federal operations. According to the complaint, the physical injuries and emotional trauma inflicted during the raid could have long-term consequences.
“They have done long lasting damage to children,” said Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, the ACLU’s deputy project director on policing. “At this moment, when the United States Congress is confronted with a question of how to reign in ICE…the answer is they need to reign in ICE to protect our children.”
Federal officials have denied that minors were zip-tied during the Idaho operation.
“ICE didn’t zip tie, restrain, or arrest any children,” Homeland Security spokesperson Trisha McLaughlin told CBS News in a statement.”
She added, “ICE does not zip tie or handcuff children. This is the kind of garbage rhetoric contributing to our officers facing a 1,300% increase in assaults against them and an 8,000% increase in death threats.”
Yet several detainees have provided accounts that contradict those denials. In an interview with CBS News, SueHey described officers who, she said, refused to identify their agencies and moved her along with hundreds of others onto the racetrack before binding her hands with plastic restraints.
“I’m just like there crying, like I’m struggling to breathe,” she said. “I can’t even get the words out.”
Her mother, Anabel Romero, said she too was restrained and unable to comfort her daughter.
“I can’t hold her because you guys won’t let me go,” Romero recalled telling the agents. “I’m like, she’s only 14.”
Those attending the races said the scene shifted abruptly when a helicopter flew low overhead, followed by five armored vehicles. Video obtained by CBS News captures the arrival of roughly 200 officers who then fanned out across the property. Some children reported that firearms were pointed in their direction, while others described rubber bullets flying past.
According to the lawsuit, officers shattered vehicle windows where children had sought shelter from the rain. One 8-year-old boy later told a local news outlet that he had to remove small shards of glass from his mouth.
The complaint also details the experience of Juana Rodriguez, who says she was restrained for hours while her 3-year-old son cried beside her. Authorities refused her requests to hold him, instructing the child instead to grasp his mother’s pocket, which had been turned inside out, according to the filing.
“As a parent, nothing is more heartbreaking than hearing your child cry out in fear and being told you cannot hold or comfort them,” Rodriguez said in a statement provided to CBS News by the ACLU. “I am a proud U.S. citizen, and I didn’t do anything wrong.”
The lawsuit contends that several minors were placed in hard plastic restraints and later displayed welts and bruises. Initially, the FBI’s Boise field office characterized reports of children being zip-tied as “completely false.” That statement was later modified to clarify that no “young” children were restrained. The Caldwell Police Department subsequently acknowledged that minors had been zip-tied.
Romero attended the event with her three children, all U.S. citizens. While her two younger children were not restrained, she said she witnessed aggressive tactics firsthand.
She described the gathering as a family-oriented event with raffles, toy vendors, and traditional Mexican food. The mood shifted when a black helicopter descended over the field, and chaos followed.
“All of a sudden I just see people running and screaming,” Romero said, recalling agents in full tactical gear pointing weapons. She hid briefly in a horse stall while her children remained in the family truck. When officers began searching the stalls, she asked them to identify themselves.
“All I’m asking is for clarification, who are you and why am I being detained,” she said. According to Romero, one of the armed men responded: “I’m gonna [expletive] blow your head off”
“They kicked me, they punched me, they stepped on me,”she said.
SueHey said she saw agents in military-style uniforms “running around, opening car doors, and yelling at people to get onto the track.” When officers opened her family’s truck, she feared for her siblings’ safety. She said the officers pulled her from the vehicle by force.
“I was brave and I opened the door because I wanted to protect my sister,” 6-year-old Alfredo told CBS News.
SueHey said she broke free momentarily to avoid being separated from her siblings. Eventually, the children were directed to the racetrack, where large numbers of attendees had been gathered.
Romero, with her hands bound behind her back, was brought to the same location and reunited with her children. She said officers then restrained SueHey despite her protests.
Romero said she pleaded with them to bind her daughter’s hands in front rather than behind her back, believing it would reduce the pain. She said the officers agreed.
Hours later, ICE agents concluded that the family members were U.S. citizens. Romero said she was questioned about her children’s differing last names.
“I didn’t know I needed to carry their birth certificates around,” she said.
Eventually, the restraints were removed and the family was released. Photographs appear to show deep bruising on SueHey’s wrists. Romero said the physical marks would fade, but the emotional impact would linger.
“My parents, they came over here [from Mexico] to give us a better life,” she told CBS News. “That day, I felt like our freedom was taken away from us.”
Authorities have said the objective of the operation was to dismantle what they suspected to be an illegal gambling ring at the racetrack. The FBI secured a federal warrant to arrest five individuals believed to be running the unlicensed enterprise.
However, numerous federal and local agencies — including Immigration and Customs Enforcement — arrived in force. Witnesses said officers began detaining hundreds of predominantly Latino attendees to verify their immigration status.
The ACLU alleges that law enforcement “conspired to abuse a criminal search warrant as cover to go fishing for immigration arrests at an event where they knew they would encounter a large number of Latino individuals.”
According to the complaint, attendees were questioned about their legal status and instructed to provide documentation. By the conclusion of the operation, 105 individuals were identified as undocumented and transported to detention facilities. Roughly 375 others, determined to be U.S. citizens or lawful residents, were released.
Local immigration attorney Nikki Ramirez-Smith, who responded to the scene, said she believes authorities miscalculated the nature of the event and noted that many of those detained had lived in the country for decades without criminal records.
“My opinion is they didn’t know that most of the people there were American citizens,” Ramirez said. “I think law enforcement misjudged it because the event is in Spanish.”
Sheriff Donahue denied that the gambling warrant was used as a pretext for an immigration sweep. He described the raid as a four-year FBI investigation into suspected cartel involvement and said ICE’s role was not the primary focus.
“We knew there was cartel involvement in this operation,” the sheriff said. “We knew that to be true. [It’s] why we went in.”
He maintained that immigration enforcement was “secondary or tertiary.”
Four months after the raid, the only criminal charges filed were against the five individuals accused of operating the unlicensed gambling enterprise.
The lawsuit states that the children affected continue to struggle emotionally. One 3-year-old plaintiff, identified as Y.R., is now fearful of police, according to his mother. A 15-year-old identified as Y.L. reportedly experiences recurring nightmares about being detained at gunpoint.
“The lasting fear and emotional distress is widespread,” the complaint says.
Donahue acknowledged that trust between law enforcement and the local Latino community has been damaged. Romero agreed, saying the operation fractured relationships that had taken years to build.
SueHey said the experience has changed how she views authorities and would make her hesitant to call for help.
“How are they gonna treat me even though I’m a U.S. citizen, even if I’m not doing anything wrong, even if I’m just reporting a crime?” she said. “How are they gonna treat me?”
{Matzav.com}
