In May 2026, a senior probation officer for Canyon County’s misdemeanor probation department began emailing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents about individuals scheduled for routine check‑ins. The correspondence, obtained by InvestigateWest, reveals that the department created a “foreign‑born list” of probationers and forwarded it to ICE for possible enforcement action.

How the list was compiled

Probation officer Norma Naranjo sent an email on May 13 to six ICE agents confirming a scheduled meeting with a probationer. Over the next two months, more than 140 emails between Canyon County probation staff and ICE were exchanged. The emails show that officers combed through case files to identify anyone whose place of birth was outside the United States, regardless of legal status.

The list ultimately contained 82 names. Redacted versions released to InvestigateWest hide names, addresses and dates of birth, but the accompanying data indicate that 54% of those on the list were on probation for driving under the influence, five for drug‑related offenses, nine for disturbing the peace, and only seven already had an ICE hold.

Legal status not verified

According to the emails, the department did not verify whether the individuals were in the country illegally. The list includes green‑card holders, people with pending asylum applications and naturalized citizens. Jeff Breach, director of the misdemeanor probation department, declined an interview but later said the list includes “individuals whose place of birth is a foreign country — and can also include individuals that have been previously flagged with an immigration hold.” He added that determining legal presence is “within the purview of federal authorities.”

ICE reportedly requests such lists on an annual basis, a practice Breach said dates back to the Obama administration. He described the cooperation as the same as any partnership with local or state law‑enforcement agencies, providing information to allow ICE to “carry out their lawful duties.”

Concerns from attorneys and advocates

Immigration attorneys expressed worry that the approach could lead to the detention of people who are legally present in the United States. Nikki Ramirez‑Smith of Ramirez‑Smith Law in Nampa called the practice “an invasion of privacy,” noting that targeting every person born abroad is different from identifying those who are undocumented.

Alycia Moss of Fennemore Law in Coeur d’Alene said ICE should verify deportability before acting, but cautioned that the agency sometimes makes mistakes, potentially detaining lawful permanent residents or green‑card applicants.

Historical context

Canyon County has faced criticism before for its cooperation with ICE. In 2019, the local newspaper reported that the sheriff’s office flagged “all foreign‑born inmates” for immigration officials, a policy that reportedly resulted in the detention of U.S. citizens. The sheriff’s office is also currently sued by the ACLU of Idaho over a 2025 ICE raid that allegedly profiled Latino patrons at a horse‑track regardless of immigration status.

Probation officers’ role

Emails show officers regularly notified ICE of upcoming probation appointments, sometimes providing home addresses, vehicle details and even asking whether ICE was planning to apprehend a probationer who missed a check‑in. One officer estimated that ICE agents were present at one or two probation appointments per month during the three‑month period.

Brad Black, a probation officer, wrote that the list included anyone who filled out an intake form stating they were not born in the United States. Another officer, Justin Donovan, identified only one person he believed might be here illegally, noting that the individual possessed only a Mexican ID at the time of a prior arrest.

County response

When asked whether the department was concerned about including citizens or lawful residents, Breach referred back to his earlier statement that verification of status is a federal responsibility. He declined to comment further.

The release of the redacted list and email chain has sparked renewed debate in Idaho about the balance between public safety, local law‑enforcement cooperation, and the constitutional rights of individuals, including the right to due process and protection from unwarranted government intrusion.

Original reporting: Alexandria, VA News – WTOP News — read the source article.