By Matt Edwards
In a shocking display of irresponsibility, Idaho farm owner and Republican legislator Rep. Stephanie Jo Mickelsen (LD-32) has put her community at risk by harboring an illegal immigrant with a criminal past on her sprawling Mickelsen Farms.
This entire affair came to light after a conservative activist, Ryan Spoon, took decisive action by reporting the farm to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), sparking a swift and justified response from the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
This story broke from an article published by Daniel Walters on InvestigateWest, a left-leaning outlet known for its soft spot for progressive causes. To conservative readers, it came as no surprise that Walters’ piece was dripping with bias, casting Mickelsen as a victim of bullying, rather than facing the consequences of her reckless endangerment of Idahoans. True to form, Walters spun the narrative to defend the migrant crisis from a bleeding-heart, left-wing perspective, downplaying the threat posed by an illegal with a criminal record and painting Spoon as the villain instead of the hero he is. It’s the kind of skewed reporting conservatives have come to expect from outlets that prioritize sob stories over security.
The incident, unfolding in southeastern Idaho, underscores the critical need for law and order in an era when open-border sympathizers like Mickelsen threaten the safety of American citizens.
Spoon, an Ada County resident, 1st Vice Chair of the Ada County Republican Central Committee, and staunch defender of American sovereignty, had immediate suspicions of the presence of illegal immigrants working at Mickelsen Farms after hearing Mickelsen’s own debates on the House floor anytime a bill came forward that took up the migrant workforce issue – illegal or not.
It turns out, Mickelsen Farms appears to have employed a man who, records later revealed, was detained by ICE and shipped off to the Nevada Southern Detention Center in Las Vegas. This wasn’t just any worker though; he had a criminal record that made him a ticking time bomb in the heart of Idaho’s agricultural community.
Allegations paint a chilling picture: this man reportedly choked his own wife in a fit of rage, a brutal act that exposes his capacity for harm. Worse still, when ICE arrested him, authorities allegedly found methamphetamine on his person – a drug that fuels addiction, crime, and chaos in communities already strained by the migrant influx. A father of three, his past misdeeds caught up with him just one week into President Trump’s second term, proving that the administration’s promise to deport dangerous illegals is no empty rhetoric. ICE agents descended on Mickelsen Farms unannounced, a move that should send a clear message to every employer coddling lawbreakers: no one is above the law
Mickelsen, a so-called “moderate” Republican, has the gall to cry foul over this necessary intervention. She claims migrants are “essential” to Idaho’s agricultural economy, a tired excuse that prioritizes profit over the safety of her neighbors. Her whining about sleepless nights after Spoon’s report only highlights her refusal to take accountability for employing someone who never should have been here in the first place. This isn’t about politics – it’s about protecting Idahoans from the chaos unleashed by unchecked illegal immigration, a crisis Mickelsen seems all too willing to ignore.
The Trump administration has made it crystal clear: mass deportations are coming, and the ICE tip line is a vital weapon in this fight. Spoon’s actions align perfectly with the President’s vision to root out illegals who threaten our communities. “Americans across a broad spectrum of politics are really fed up with the illegal immigration issue,” Spoon rightly declared to InvestigateWest, echoing the sentiments of millions who voted to put Trump back in the White House. His report wasn’t a stunt—it was a public service, met with “overwhelmingly positive” reactions from conservatives who see through Mickelsen’s bleeding-heart nonsense.
Contrast this with Mickelsen’s shameful defense of her farmhand. She knows his criminal history, yet she still paints herself as the victim, whining to InvestigateWest about ICE showing up “out of the blue.” Out of the blue? Hardly. This was a direct consequence of her reckless choices. Her farm, sprawling across thousands of acres, isn’t just a business – it’s a potential haven for illegals if left unchecked. Spoon’s move to alert ICE wasn’t an attack; it was a wake-up call to a legislator who’s lost sight of her duty to protect her constituents.
And Mickelsen isn’t alone in her folly. Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson, another supposed Republican, has pushed a bipartisan bill to expand farmworker visas and offer a path to legal status for migrants – a move Spoon correctly labeled a “literal act of treason.” Treason might sound harsh, but when you’re facilitating a foreign invasion under the guise of “economic necessity,” what else do you call it? Simpson and Mickelsen represent the weak-kneed establishment that Trump’s base rejected, and their pandering to illegals only emboldens the lawlessness Spoon is fighting against.
Spoon’s tactics have ruffled feathers among the spineless elite, with Mickelsen claiming some legislators were “completely disgusted” by his boldness. Good. They should be uncomfortable. If they’re not outraged by a farm owner sheltering a criminal illegal, they’ve got no business representing Idaho. Spoon’s not anti-immigrant – his wife is a legal immigrant from Germany – but he’s unapologetically anti-illegal, a stance every red-blooded American should cheer. His X posts bragging about reporting Mickelsen are a badge of honor, not a scandal.
Meanwhile, Mickelsen’s sob story about her deported worker – a father of three with a rap sheet – falls flat. She knew who he was, yet she let him stay, endangering her community for the sake of migrant labor. That’s not compassion; it’s negligence. Spoon hinted at targeting other legislators like Rep. Jack Nelsen, whose family dairy he’s accused of exploiting illegal “plantation slaves.” If true, they deserve the same fate as Mickelsen’s farmhand: deportation, pronto.
This isn’t just about one farm or one activist. It’s about a broader war on the lawlessness embodied by Stephanie Mickelsen. The Trump administration’s ICE raids are a lifeline for communities besieged by illegal immigration, and Spoon’s courage in wielding the tip line is a model for conservatives everywhere. Mickelsen’s outrage is misplaced – she should be thanking Spoon for exposing her failure before someone got hurt. Idaho deserves better than a farm owner who puts criminals over citizens. Thanks to Trump and patriots like Spoon, it’s finally getting the protection it needs. Idaho doesn’t need its own Laken Rileys.
About Matt Edwards
Matt Edwards is the executive director of Citizens Alliance of Idaho and the host of WorldNetDaily Live. He lives with his family in North Idaho.
