“Where’s my daughter, where’s my daughter!” Those were the words screamed by a frantic mother just after more than 200 law enforcement officers — ranging from the Sheriff’s Department to the FBI, State Police, and ICE — descended upon a private racetrack in Wilder, Idaho, on Sunday afternoon.
📹 See original context here.
Families were separated — including children, most of whom were naturally born U.S. citizens — who also appeared to be targets of this fanatical melee. They were zip-tied so tightly that they suffered bruises, according to immigration attorney Nicole Ramírez.
📹 See her statement here.
In the midst of a nationwide government shutdown that has halted funding for food services, emergency medicine, and even healthcare subsidies, the federal and state governments somehow managed to marshal enormous resources for a hellacious show of force — roughly 200 armed agents to arrest just four men accused of operating an illegal horse-betting ring. According to witnesses, these “jack-boots,” many wearing masks and sunglasses despite an overcast sky, detained at least 50 additional people beyond the four arrested by the FBI.
📄 KTVB coverage.
Though I was not there in person, I watched in horror as a Facebook livestream from Ash Palomares captured the raid up close. Moments before the feed abruptly ended, officers ordered her to back away, even though she was not interfering. Then, as she protested, they wrestled her to the ground, and the stream went dark.
📹 See the video here.
During that same livestream, the sound of rubber bullets could be heard — a fact later confirmed by Estefanía Mondragón of Poder of Idaho and the ACLU of Idaho.
“This is absolutely ridiculous — that we arrest and corral people into buses and separate them from their families,” Mondragón told reporters. “I’ve been on the brink of crying. I can’t believe it’s happening in Idaho. We’re a tight-knit community, and these are our neighbors we’re going after. It’s heartbreaking and a betrayal to our families here.”
📄 East Idaho News report.
Culturally, horse racing is an important pastime for many Hispanic families — not merely for betting, but as a joyful escape after a hard week’s work. I personally know several people who were there that day — some of whom will not be coming home. Not because they organized or placed bets, but simply because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time when ICE and other heavily armed agents stormed in. For the federal machine, family unity and human rights seem to mean little — replaced instead by unchecked testosterone and the barrel of an automatic rifle. Defenseless children were traumatized in the name of MAGA.
Ironically, a former Wilder onion farmer who rose to become Governor of Idaho would likely be appalled by today’s events. Too bad Phil Batt isn’t alive to see it. Governor Brad Little’s tacit approval of ICE firing bullets at protesters and detaining minors is a disgrace. It is not a proud day for Idaho.
Añadir comentario
Comentarios