An FBI-led raid on a private race track near Boise, Idaho, targeting illegal gambling, resulted in over 100 arrests primarily for immigration violations, highlighting the increasing focus on immigration enforcement within federal law operations under the Trump administration. The operation involved more than 200 officers from multiple agencies, including ICE and Border Patrol, and drew criticism for the heavy-handed tactics used, such as zip-tying children as young as 11 and separating families for hours. Several U.S. citizens and legal residents were caught up in the raid, with reports of excessive force, including the use of flash-bang devices, pepper spray, and rubber bullets, causing trauma especially among children.

The raid exposed tensions in Canyon County, Idaho’s most Hispanic-populated area, where many residents felt the law enforcement response was disproportionate and damaging to community trust. Despite official denials from Homeland Security and local authorities about restraining children, multiple eyewitness accounts and family testimonies contradicted these claims, describing distressing scenes and lasting emotional harm to children. The incident underscores the broader trend of immigration enforcement being integrated into anti-crime operations nationwide, often blurring lines between criminal investigations and immigration crackdowns, with significant social and humanitarian consequences.