Families Sue Over Aggressive Immigration Raid at Idaho Horse Track

U.S. citizens and legal residents allege civil rights violations during operation targeting Latino community

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Three Idaho families who are U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents are suing after they and hundreds of others were detained for hours during an aggressive immigration raid at a rural horse racing track last year. The families say state and federal law enforcement agencies conspired to use unconstitutional tactics, including detaining people because they appeared to be Latino, keeping adults and some children in zip ties for hours without access to basic needs, and searching individuals without reasonable suspicion of a crime.

Why it matters

Similar immigration enforcement operations marked by heavy use of force have entangled U.S. citizens and legal residents in other states, raising concerns about racial profiling and unconstitutional detention tactics. This lawsuit aims to challenge the legality of such tactics and the disproportionate impact on Latino communities.

The details

The October 2025 raid at the privately owned La Catedral horse racing track, about an hour west of Boise, was part of an FBI-led investigation into alleged illegal gambling. However, only 5 people were arrested for gambling-related offenses, while over 100 others were detained on suspicion of immigration violations. The families allege law enforcement used excessive force, racial epithets, and unlawful detention tactics that violated their civil rights.

  • The raid took place on October 19, 2025.
  • The lawsuit was filed in February 2026.

The players

Juana Rodriguez

One of the lead plaintiffs in the lawsuit, whose hands were zip-tied for almost four hours during the raid, leaving her unable to care for her 3-year-old son.

Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam

The city and the Nampa Police Chief are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

Jenn Rolnick Borchetta

An attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, who spoke at a news conference about the evidence of racial and ethnic targeting during the raid.

Paul Carlos Southwick

The ACLU of Idaho legal director, who described the raid as "a coordinated government scheme to weaponize an arrest warrant as cover for racial profiling on a massive scale."

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What they’re saying

“I have never seen so much direct evidence of racial targeting, and ethnic targeting, as I have in this case.”

— Jenn Rolnick Borchetta, Attorney, American Civil Liberties Union Foundation (sentinelcolorado.com)

“The real objective was to deport hundreds of innocent people, no matter the human cost, while spreading terror throughout the Latine community.”

— Paul Carlos Southwick, ACLU of Idaho Legal Director (sentinelcolorado.com)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide whether to grant class-action status to the lawsuit, which seeks to declare the law enforcement agencies' actions unconstitutional and obtain damages for the affected families.

The takeaway

This case highlights the ongoing concerns about the use of aggressive immigration enforcement tactics that disproportionately target Latino communities, even when they involve U.S. citizens and legal residents. The lawsuit aims to challenge the legality of such operations and the civil rights violations they can entail.