2025 Election Guide
The voice of progressives in
every town in America
every town in America
America needs a sensible, orderly immigration system that honors the contributions of immigrants and reflects our tradition of welcoming those who help build this country. What we have instead are masked agents in unmarked vehicles detaining people without warrants, including U.S. citizens and even a federal marshal. People who follow the rules and show up for immigration hearings are met with handcuffs, turning due process into a trap.
Polling shows support for the Trump regime’s approach has collapsed. Americans see what’s happening: longtime neighbors living in fear, employers losing trusted workers, and local law enforcement undermined by federal overreach.
We can do better. And we must.
Ricardo came to Idaho over twenty years ago, after a $50,000 hospital bill for his newborn son left him with no options back home. Since then, he has worked in agriculture, landscaping, and restaurants. He pays taxes. He has raised his children here. And now, despite doing everything right, he lives with the fear that going to work could get him deported.
Natalia arrived as a teenager. For 25 years, she has lived in the same Idaho community, working, raising children, attending church, and helping her neighbors. She has never broken the law. But she has no path to legal status and lives under constant threat that it could all be taken away.
After facing backlash, Trump briefly acknowledged that many undocumented immigrants are “good people” doing “impossible-to-fill” jobs. But days later, his administration ramped up raids in agriculture, hospitality, and construction.
Idaho businesses felt the whiplash. Rick Naerebout, CEO of the Idaho Dairymen’s Association, called the flip-flop “disappointing and discouraging.” In the Magic Valley, crops have been left to rot from labor shortages. Steve Martinez, a Boise contractor, warned that raids would delay projects and raise housing costs, stating, “This immigrant workforce is crucially needed for the state of Idaho.”
Even law enforcement is speaking out. After Trump’s Department of Homeland Security published a list targeting local sheriffs, Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue, a Republican and president of the National Sheriffs’ Association, issued a rare public rebuke. He warned that the move would erode trust and cooperation between federal and local officers.
The American people overwhelmingly support a smarter path forward. One that strengthens our borders and creates a real future for people who’ve long called this country home. Congress had a chance to deliver that last year with a bipartisan bill that enjoyed broad support. Trump shut it down.
Our Republican-controlled Congress must bring back a bipartisan, commonsense approach to immigration. It is time to stop the chaos and fear that hurt our communities and economy, and finally fix a system that should reflect the best of who we are.
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Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair