A federal judge in Idaho has ordered the release of 16 migrants detained during an FBI-led raid at a rural racetrack, ruling that their continued detention without bond violated due process rights. Many of the detainees have lived in the U.S. for decades, have no criminal history, and have family ties to U.S. citizens. The raid, involving over 200 officers from multiple agencies, targeted suspected illegal gambling but resulted in few gambling arrests and over 100 immigration-related detentions. The judge emphasized that non-citizens residing within the U.S. are entitled to due process protections, unlike those stopped near the border.

The Department of Homeland Security criticized the ruling, calling it an example of an “activist judge” releasing lawbreakers, and reaffirmed the Trump administration’s commitment to strict immigration enforcement. The raid drew controversy over aggressive tactics, including reports of children being zip-tied or separated from parents, which officials partially denied. Many detainees signed voluntary departure agreements before consulting lawyers, and immigration attorneys noted that released individuals will face lengthy court backlogs, with asylum claims often denied under Trump-era policies that have also seen the firing of immigration judges and the use of military lawyers to expedite deportations.