ACLU STRIKES BACK: Lawsuit Targets ICE Overreach

American citizens and children as young as three were detained for four hours without food or water during a massive ICE raid at a family event in Idaho—only to be released after proving their citizenship, raising serious questions about constitutional overreach and the tactics employed.

Story at a Glance

Over 400 people, including U.S. citizens and children, were detained for four hours at an Idaho family event by more than 200 federal, state, and local officers
Detainees were restrained with zip ties and denied food, water, and bathroom access while children as young as three were separated from parents
All detained families were ultimately released after proving citizenship or lawful residency—no charges were filed against anyone
ACLU filed a class action lawsuit alleging racial profiling and constitutional violations, marking the first major legal challenge to ICE tactics under the second Trump administration

Mass Detention at Family Venue Raises Constitutional Concerns

On October 19, 2025, more than 200 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers descended on La Catedral arena in Wilder, Idaho, during a family event. The operation resulted in approximately 400 spectators being detained for four hours in conditions the ACLU describes as inhumane. Detainees were restrained with zip ties, subjected to rubber bullets and flashbang grenades, and denied access to food, water, and bathroom facilities. Among those detained were U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, including children as young as three years old who were separated from their parents.

Government Justification Contradicted by Facts

Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin defended the operation as targeting an “illegal horse-racing, animal fighting, and gambling enterprise operation.” However, court documents make no mention of animal fighting, and the venue held a valid horse-racing license. Significantly, none of the detained families were questioned about gambling activities. The disconnect between the stated justification and the actual enforcement outcome—where all detainees were released after proving citizenship with no criminal charges filed—raises legitimate questions about whether the operation’s true purpose aligned with its publicly stated objectives.

Pattern of Overreach Emerges Across Multiple Jurisdictions

The Wilder incident is not isolated. Federal judges in Chicago ruled that ICE violated a consent decree by conducting warrantless arrests of at least 22 individuals, including American citizens. Similar findings emerged from federal courts in Oregon and Washington, where judges determined that immigration authorities detained individuals without due process and seized children without articulated legal justification. A Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee report documented multiple cases of U.S. citizen children detained by ICE and CBP agents, including children as young as six and eight held at gunpoint, and a 14-year-old restrained with zip ties over her mother’s objections.

Americans’ Constitutional Rights at Stake

Lead plaintiff Juana Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, was handcuffed with zip ties for several hours while her three-year-old son was forced to hold her pocket and cried for food and water. The ACLU’s lawsuit seeks to establish that federal, state, and local law enforcement violated constitutional rights through racial profiling, excessive force, and denial of due process. ACLU Deputy Director Jenn Rolnick Borchetta stated she has “never seen so much direct evidence of racial targeting, and ethnic targeting” as in this case. While immigration enforcement serves a legitimate purpose, the detention of American citizens—particularly children—without probable cause or charges raises fundamental questions about constitutional protections and government accountability.

The case presents conservatives with a critical test: supporting effective immigration enforcement while ensuring that constitutional safeguards protecting American citizens remain inviolable. When law-abiding U.S. citizens attending family events face detention, restraint, and denial of basic necessities based on their appearance, the balance between security and liberty has tipped toward government overreach. The fact that all 400 detainees were ultimately released without charges suggests the operation lacked the precision and probable cause that should accompany such aggressive law enforcement action, particularly when military-style equipment and tactics are deployed against civilian families.