Late Wednesday night, a Canyon County Paramedics ambulance was reported stolen. According to Meridian Police Chief Tracy Basterrechea, the thief filled it with cans of gasoline that had been stashed nearby and then crashed it into the St. Luke’s Portico North building, which houses offices leased by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). He said investigators believe the suspect poured gasoline inside and around the ambulance but was unable to ignite it before being scared off by law enforcement.
As of Thursday afternoon, the suspect remained at large.
Just days earlier, news broke that DHS was leasing space in the Portico North building. Left-wing groups such as Idaho 50501, The Idaho 97, and Babe Vote shared calls to action urging people to contact St. Luke’s and demand that it terminate its lease with DHS.
We do not yet have enough information to know whether the incident specifically targeted the DHS office, and if so, whether it was planned or coordinated by any particular left-wing group. It is clear, however, that anti-ICE rhetoric is designed to generate fear and anger. If those emotions inspire unstable individuals to commit violent acts, some appear willing to accept that consequence.
Militant leftists have long embraced what they call a “diversity of tactics,” in which prominent leaders publicly emphasize nonviolence while leaving space for violent actions, often carried out by career criminals or the mentally ill. Rufo and Lomez recently interviewed domestic terrorism expert Kyle Schideler, who explained how this dynamic operates.
In Minnesota, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has increased activity over the past month, left-wing activists reportedly engaged in coordinated efforts to locate, follow, and disrupt operations. Two individuals who were killed during these confrontations—Renee Good and Alex Pretti—were involved in direct clashes with ICE agents. According to reports, Good used her vehicle to block the road and struck an ICE agent before being shot. Pretti allegedly attacked ICE vehicles in a previous encounter and was attempting to “de-arrest” another individual when he was shot.
An important component of any conflict, whether armed or rhetorical, is claiming the moral high ground. Left-wing activists across the country quickly elevated Good and Pretti to martyr status, portraying them as heroes resisting what they describe as Gestapo-like tactics. If the person who attacked the Portico North building is revealed to be another anti-ICE activist, we can expect similar attempts to cast that individual as a hero.
Activists in Idaho have already begun preparing for Minnesota-style responses. This week, the Idaho State Journal reported that a nonprofit called Bridges Now plans to “coordinate with local groups, organizations and neighborhoods on a block-by-block basis — similar to community efforts in Minnesota — to prepare a response if ICE comes to Pocatello.”
Other groups have protested multiple times at the Capitol in Boise. It is fair to ask whether the individual who stole the ambulance on Wednesday night participated in any such protests or meetings.
Why are left-wing activists so determined to resist President Trump’s enforcement of immigration law? Many individuals detained by ICE have committed serious crimes—rape, theft, drug trafficking, and even murder. In blue states that resist cooperation with federal authorities, ICE must expend greater effort to locate these individuals, which sometimes means casting a wider net that ensnares illegal aliens without violent criminal records.
Anyone present in the country unlawfully is, by definition, violating the law. Those who cross the border illegally or overstay visas often commit additional offenses, including identity theft, which is not a victimless crime. In cooperative states, ICE can work directly with local law enforcement to take custody of individuals from jail. This approach is simpler and safer.
I believe the left is willing to die on this hill because it long ago realized that it had lost the confidence of the American people. A majority of Americans—particularly those with deep roots in this country—oppose the far-left platform of socialism, radical gender ideology, state-sanctioned discrimination, etc. Left-wing leaders decided quite a while ago that their best political play was to import a new electorate rather than try to work with the existing one.
Despite four years of Joe Biden’s open border, time is not on their side. President Trump has secured the southern border, shut off many of the magnets that draw illegal aliens to our country, and is deporting those that are here without authorization. The 2030 census is likely to further weaken the left, as the American people are voting with their feet and leaving decaying blue states for places like Florida, Texas, and Idaho, which not only retain our traditional values and liberties, but have strong and growing economies as well.
You can see how this is existential for the left. Their entire political program depends upon creating new voters who will keep them in power. Consider the recent mayoral election in New York City. Zohran Mamdani, himself born outside of the United States, won 62% of the foreign-born vote compared to only 32% of native-born voters.
The question, then, is what are we prepared to do. While immigration enforcement is a federal issue, we face challenges here in Idaho that can be overcome with enough political will. Sen. Brian Lenney, Rep. Dale Hawkins, former solicitor general Theo Wold, and others presented a slate of bills a few weeks ago designed to bring us more information on the number of illegal aliens in our state, and restrict their ability to live and work here:
A group of agricultural leaders and lobbyists responded the following week with a press conference defending the use of migrant labor, including illegal aliens. The industry has pushed back on legislation such as E-Verify, which would require employers to check the legal status of potential employees before hiring.
Rep. Dale Hawkins was scheduled to present House Bill 660 on Thursday afternoon, which would require law enforcement to record the immigration status and nationality of anyone arrested in their jurisdiction. Rep. Bruce Skaug, chairman of the House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee, later announced that the bill would be removed from the agenda at the sponsor’s request. At that point, several uniformed law enforcement officers, including Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford, left the room.
Were those officers prepared to testify against the bill? Why do so many in Idaho law enforcement so strongly oppose efforts to document the number of illegal aliens in our legal system? We can’t fix what isn’t measured, and we can’t measure the impact of illegal immigration on our state until our government is willing to do it.
During a JFAC hearing last month, Idaho Department of Correction Director Bree Derrick stated that approximately 250 illegal immigrants are incarcerated in Idaho prisons on any given day. While IDOC cooperates with ICE, those aliens must still complete their sentences prior to being handed over for deportation. This means that, with an average cost of $99.66 per inmate per day, Idaho taxpayers are on the hook for more than $9 million per year to house illegal aliens in our state prisons.
That figure does not include county jails, and without legislation requiring consistent data collection, the full scope will remain unknown.
The financial burden extends beyond corrections. Housing, healthcare, and education systems all absorb costs associated with those who should not be here, not to mention industries that have become de facto off-limits to American citizens.
President Trump and ICE are enforcing federal law, and Idaho can also act within its authority. There are practical steps the state can take to discourage illegal immigration and uphold the rule of law. Neither radical left-wing activists nor powerful industry lobbyists should deter us from enforcing the law.
Feature image courtesy of Idaho 50501
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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.
