Probation officers in a southwestern Idaho county have been systematically compiling lists of foreign-born individuals on probation, which are then shared with federal immigration authorities. This practice has occurred despite county officers not independently confirming whether every person identified was residing in the United States without authorization.
Documents reviewed by this publication, including over 140 emails exchanged between Canyon County probation officers and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from May to July 2026, detail the probation department's coordination with ICE's Boise office. This coordination included reviewing case files to generate a list of foreign-born probationers for ICE.
Interdepartmental Coordination Revealed
In one instance in May, a probation officer contacted ICE regarding a man scheduled for a routine check-in the following day. Norma Naranjo, a senior probation officer for Canyon County’s misdemeanor probation department, informed six ICE agents via email on May 13: "His meeting has not changed and he is expected to be here tomorrow morning at 7:30 a.m."
The next day, the individual arrived early for his appointment. Naranjo again reached out to the ICE agents, inquiring about their arrival: "He is here are you guys on your way?" The heavily redacted emails did not clearly indicate whether ICE agents took the man into custody during his probation appointment.
Concerns for Legally Present Individuals
The list compiled for ICE appeared to be created without verifying the immigration status of the individuals. An email from one probation officer indicated that the names he submitted included everyone in his files who had reported being born outside the United States. Simply being foreign-born does not signify unlawful immigration status; this demographic includes naturalized U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, commonly known as green-card holders.
While Idaho law enforcement agencies have a history of collaborating with federal immigration officials to detain undocumented immigrants in jail or on probation, immigration attorneys and advocates are concerned that Canyon County’s "foreign-born list" could lead to the detention of legally present probationers. This concern is heightened by past instances during the Trump administration where ICE agents detained U.S. citizens or individuals with lawful or pending immigration status during enforcement actions. Furthermore, some lawfully present noncitizens, including green card holders, can face removal proceedings based on certain criminal convictions or other federal grounds.
Nikki Ramirez-Smith, an immigration attorney with Ramirez-Smith Law in Nampa, Idaho, characterized the county’s initiative to compile a list of foreign-born individuals for ICE as "an invasion of privacy." She commented, "It’s one thing to know that someone is 'undocumented,' it’s another thing to just start targeting every single person who was born in another country."
Department Justification and Historical Context
Jeff Breach, director of Canyon County's misdemeanor probation department, explained that the list comprises "individuals whose place of birth is a foreign country — and can also include individuals that have been previously flagged with an immigration hold." Breach stated that "Verifying and determining legal presence/status, along with any related enforcement, is within the purview of federal authorities."
Breach noted that ICE typically requests a list of potentially undocumented individuals annually, a practice that has continued across various presidential administrations. He asserted that the probation department cooperates with ICE in the same manner it would with any local or state law enforcement agency, by providing "information to carry out their lawful duties." Steve Cushman, director of constituent services for Canyon County, indicated that while he was unsure of the exact start date for these requests, he understood the practice to date back to the Obama administration.
Internal Directives and Implementation
On June 3, Naranjo informed five ICE officers that she would discuss the "foreign-born list" with Breach. "We are working on a procedure to keep a list current for your agency," Naranjo wrote. "I will get back to you on this as soon as we figure something out."
Two days later, Breach sent an email to his staff instructing them to compile a list of undocumented immigrants. "ICE has requested a list of offenders who are in the country illegally," he wrote. "I need you to go through your caseload this month and send me a list of names of offenders who you believe are in the country illegally. I’ll review the names and put together a list that can be sent to ICE so that they can look into if the person is in the country illegally and if they want to take any action."
This email suggests ICE requested individuals believed to be in the country illegally, rather than all foreign-born probationers. However, subsequent messages show that at least some probation officers used foreign birthplace as a criterion for identifying individuals for review. Most emails from May 1 to July 10 were heavily redacted, but they revealed how probation officers utilized information from their case files to compile the list.
Brandon Black, a Canyon County probation officer, emailed Breach on June 8, stating: "That’s everyone in my cabinet that filled out (an) intake form and stated not born in US." Another officer, Justin Donovan, informed Breach that he identified only one person under his supervision who "may be here illegally," noting the individual "only had an ID from Mexico during his last arrest."
An analysis of the compiled list components showed that more than half of the individuals were on probation for driving under the influence, five for drug-related offenses, and nine for disturbing the peace. Only seven individuals on the list were identified as having an existing ICE hold, meaning they had already been flagged by the federal government for potential deportation.
Probation officers routinely alerted ICE agents about the dates and times specific probationers would arrive at their office. In some cases, officers inquired with ICE if a person who had missed check-ins was in their custody. In two instances, officers emailed ICE immediately before and during appointments to confirm their arrival for a detention. One officer also provided ICE agents with a probationer’s home address, vehicle make, model, and license plate number.
Breach estimated that ICE agents have been present at one or two probation appointments per month over the last three months. He explained, "All the law enforcement agencies we work with prefer to meet with offenders up in the office due to it being a controlled environment, which means it is safer for the offender, the officer, and the public." He added, "There is an expectation from law enforcement agencies and the public that probation officers work cooperatively with law enforcement to ensure the safety of all parties involved."
When questioned about concerns that U.S. citizens or others with legal status might be included on the list, Breach reiterated his earlier statement that verifying an individual’s status "is within the purview of federal authorities." Alycia Moss, an immigration attorney with Fennemore Law in Coeur d’Alene, explained that ICE might still target someone if they believe a conviction is a deportable or removal offense, even if that person has legal status. She noted that while ICE agents should ideally know if someone on the list is deportable, they may still target individuals legally present in the U.S.
Past Controversies and Legal Challenges
Canyon County has faced scrutiny in the past for its involvement in immigration enforcement. In 2019, staff at the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office were instructed to notify immigration officials of "all foreign-born inmates" booked into the jail. This included U.S. citizens who had posted bond, according to local reports. Staff were directed to contact immigration officials if inmates had served jail time and posted bond.
That same year, Canyon County became the subject of three lawsuits from individuals who alleged they were unlawfully held in jail despite posting bond, because the county refused to release them due to their immigration status. The county reached a settlement with at least one man for $13,000.
The sheriff’s office is also currently defending against a lawsuit filed by the ACLU of Idaho. This suit alleges that the county and other law enforcement agencies involved in an October 2025 ICE raid racially profiled Latino attendees and unlawfully detained individuals at a horse-racing venue. The allegations in this case have not yet been adjudicated.
