Little using office emergency fund to pay for ICE transports

Idaho State Police will allocate $300,000 from the governor's emergency fund for transporting unauthorized migrants for deportation processing under a new agreement with ICE. Governor Brad Little stated the initiative aims to bolster state-federal cooperation on border security. Each transport to the Jefferson County Jail, which also serves as an ICE detention center, will cost $1,500 per trooper, with two troopers required for each transport. This funding approval comes despite some lawmakers expressing concerns that the fund's use diverges from its original purpose established during the COVID-19 pandemic. Critics, including members of the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee, previously sought to eliminate this fund, arguing it should not be used for non-pandemic-related expenses.

Governor Little vetoed a budget proposal to revert approximately $652,000 from the emergency fund back to the general fund. The fund has financed various initiatives, including assistance at the southern border and investigations related to high-profile crimes. Officials assert that the focus will be on transporting undocumented individuals who have committed serious crimes, though specifics on what constitutes "serious" remain undefined.