Idaho Lawmaker wants to get tough on illegal immigration
Jan 15, 2025
With the Trump Administration ready to take office next week, many states, including Idaho, are wondering what will take place with illegal immigration. It seems the Idaho House and the Idaho's Sheriffs Association are on the same page.Idaho Representative Jaron Crane of Nampa believes it's time to get serious about illegal immigration in Idaho. On Tuesday, Crane presented legislation in committee which is modeled after a Texas bill that states a first offense of illegal entry would be a misdemeanor. A second offense brings felony charges, which may lead to deportation. "It's enforceable, it's constitutional and it's going to be upheld and supported," Crane said.Representative Todd Achilles of Boise isn't so sure about that. "In reading this bill I think there's a couple of issues. Number one, it clearly violates the supremacy clause of the Constitution. Immigration law is federal law states don't have the right to override that. Number two, I see a double jeopardy risk. We're criminalizeing both illegal enter and reentry."Crane says it will help local enforcement do their job. "This will allow law enforcement to go ahead and take fingerprints, do mug shots, do all of those things we would do to document a person they will then receive a misdemeanor for that crime. If they get a second crime, they would get a felony and face deportation."Idaho News 6 received a statement from the Idaho Sheriff's Association on their position on what they call the 'immigration crisis in America.'In it reads in part. "More effort should be made to encourage businesses and employers in Idaho and elsewhere to lawfully employ immigrant workers through the E-Visa and other established pathways. Failure to do so often encourages illegal immigration and does a disservice to those who have lawfully migrated into the United States."I spent the morning with Owyhee County Sheriff Larry Kendrick who believes the new Trump Administration is focused on what he calls 'the bad actors.' Kendrick added. "There's a lot of bad actors in the U.S., there's just not people coming to looking for work there's a lot of people here who have committed felonies and they're still here."Kendrick is all for local and federal legislation that does just that. "I'm a strong advocate if they want to work here come legally," Kendrick said. "I doubt the Trump administration will start with farmers or dairies, they're after the bad actors committing crimes."The Texas Law that Representative Crane talks about is currently being considered in a Court of Appeals.