Canyon County probation office provides foreign-born list to ICE

Probation officers in Canyon County, Idaho, have been coordinating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to provide lists of foreign-born individuals under their supervision. According to more than 140 emails obtained by InvestigateWest, the department compiled a roster of 82 people based on their place of birth without verifying their legal immigration status.

The list includes individuals who may be naturalized U.S. citizens, green card holders, or those with pending asylum applications. Emails reveal that probation officers notified ICE agents of specific appointment times, in some instances sending messages just as individuals arrived to facilitate potential arrests in a controlled environment.

Jeff Breach, director of the Canyon County Misdemeanor Probation Department, stated that the list includes individuals born in foreign countries and may include those previously flagged for immigration holds, but noted that verifying legal status is the responsibility of federal authorities. Immigration attorneys have criticized the practice as an invasion of privacy that risks the detention of legally present residents.