On Monday, March 16, 2026, Sen. Brian Lenney presented House Bill 659 to the Senate State Affairs Committee. H659, which had previously passed the House 41-27-2, would have required Idaho law enforcement agencies to sign 287(g) memoranda of understanding with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if feasible. Several law enforcement leaders testified against the bill, including Chief Jeff Eidemiller of Homedale.
Chief Eidemiller argued that the bill was unnecessary, stating that the Homedale Police Department already cooperates with the federal government. He also noted that 34% of his city’s population is Hispanic, and said that legislation like H659 risks eroding trust between law enforcement and the Hispanic community. Sen. Ben Adams, a member of the committee, pointed out that it is not illegal to be Hispanic, but it is illegal to be in the country unlawfully. He asked whether Eidemiller had any objection to ICE enforcing immigration law in his community. Eidemiller responded that the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office already has a 287(g) agreement with ICE, but emphasized that he would not be sending patrol officers out to look for undocumented individuals.
After additional testimony and debate, the committee voted 4–5 to hold H659. By the end of the 2026 legislative session in early April, not a single immigration bill—including several addressing 287(g) agreements—reached the governor’s desk.
Despite Chief Eidemiller’s claim that Homedale already cooperates with ICE, the Chronicle has obtained a memo he sent to his staff on January 19 of this year. In it, he emphasized that his department is not an active partner with ICE through the 287(g) program, and further directed that officers and staff are not to gather or disseminate intelligence, or use any city-owned equipment, to support investigations by outside agencies.
The memo concludes with a warning that any deviation from these orders could result in disciplinary action.
There is nothing in Homedale’s municipal ordinances that establishes an official policy regarding cooperation with ICE, which suggests that this is a unilateral decision by the chief regarding departmental procedures.
Idaho Code § 18-9005 explicitly protects voluntary cooperation with federal agencies in immigration enforcement. It authorizes Idaho law enforcement personnel to send, receive, and maintain information regarding the legal status of individuals in their custody, and it prohibits restrictions on the use of federal resources related to immigration enforcement.
I am not an attorney and cannot definitively interpret whether this statute applies strictly to agencies or extends to individual officers. While the memo does not explicitly prohibit all communication with federal authorities, it does restrict how such communication may occur. Nevertheless, it is one thing for a department to decline participation in a 287(g) agreement—an option that remains available after the failure of H659 and similar bills this year. It is another matter entirely to restrict cooperation in practice, creating what amounts to a de facto sanctuary policy.
As Chief Eidemiller noted, the Owyhee County Sheriff’s Office does maintain a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Sheriff Larry Kendrick has been outspoken in his support for ICE’s mission, and his office has worked with federal authorities to detain and deport individuals in the country unlawfully. Last week, Rachel Spacek of InvestigateWest reported that ICE has paid at least $116,000 to the sheriff’s office in reimbursements and incentives tied to that agreement. Her article frames ICE as the antagonist and casts those who cooperate with it in a negative light, quoting extensively from pro-illegal and anti-ICE activists and advocacy groups. However, the reported payments undermine claims made during this year’s legislative session that 287(g) agreements would impose a financial burden on local agencies and taxpayers.
There is also a personal dimension to the differing approaches of Chief Eidemiller and Sheriff Kendrick. When former Owyhee County Sheriff Perry Grant retired in early 2023, the county GOP submitted three names to board of commissioners for consideration. Kendrick was their top choice, and Eidemiller their second. Commissioners ultimately selected Kendrick, who was elected to a full term in 2024.
Owyhee County is large, rural, and heavily dependent on agriculture. Dairies and pastures surround small communities like Homedale. Last October, federal agents raided a racetrack near Wilder, just north of Homedale, making arrests related to illegal gambling. ICE participated in the operation and detained roughly 100 individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully.
Note that Chief Eidemiller did not argue that there were no illegal aliens in Homedale or Owyhee County, instead claiming that stronger immigration enforcement would create mistrust with the Hispanic community. It’s undeniable that there are foreign citizens without legal authorization working on farms and dairies in Idaho—recall that the McClure Center noted in 2024 that at least 35,000 illegal aliens were present in Idaho, with many working in the agricultural industry.
The question is not whether we have illegal aliens working in Idaho, but what can be done about it.
Several lawmakers, including Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon, have expressed frustration with law enforcement leaders who oppose mandates for cooperation with ICE. Chief Eidemiller’s memo goes further, instructing officers to refrain from assisting outside investigations, with disciplinary consequences for those who do.
When Americans hear the term “sanctuary city,” they tend to think of places like San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, or Minneapolis. But this memo shows that the problem exists in our own backyard as well. Will Idahoans—including law enforcement, lawmakers, and executive officials—stand by while a town of less than 3,000 people allows agricultural interests to defy our laws?
About Brian Almon
Brian Almon is the Editor of the Gem State Chronicle. He also serves as Chairman of the District 14 Republican Party and is a trustee of the Eagle Public Library Board. He lives with his wife and five children in Eagle.
