For much of the past year, immigration arrests and enforcement have dominated both local and national news. Here in the Northwest, The University of Washington’s Center for Human Rights has collected data on thousands of people who were detained and moved around the country before deportation.
In many cases, residents of Idaho, Oregon and Washington have debated what role local police should play in helping, or hindering, these federal immigration officers. This past month, a fascinating debate played out in Idaho’s deep red legislature that saw local law enforcement pushing back against the White House’s grandest deportation dreams.
The Western Edge recently chatted with reporter Alexandra Duggan of the outstanding Spokane, Washington, newspaper The Spokesman Review. We discussed the problems with Idaho officers doing the work of ICE agents, sanctuary states and the ways national media can stereotype Idaho.
