CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — The ACLU filed a class action lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday, accusing federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies of violating the civil rights of hundreds of people during a large-scale raid at La Catedral racetrack in Wilder, Idaho.
The complaint alleges families were unlawfully detained for hours on Oct. 19, 2025, and subjected to immigration screening under the pretext of a gambling investigation.
The lawsuit was filed on behalf of several Latino families and names as defendants Kenneth Porter, acting director of the Boise U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Field Sub-Office; Robert Bohls, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Salt Lake City office; Chris Sheehan, supervisory special agent of the FBI’s Boise Resident Agency; Jake Sheridan, an FBI special agent; Canyon County Sheriff Kieran Donahue; Caldwell Police Chief Rex Ingram; Nampa Police Chief Joe Huff; Idaho State Police Director Bill Gardiner; Canyon County; the city of Caldwell; the city of Nampa; and 20 unnamed John Doe defendants.
The plaintiffs are seeking class action status for all people detained at the racetrack during the raid who were not arrested on criminal charges.
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According to the complaint, roughly 400 people were attending the event in October when more than 200 law enforcement officers descended on the property shortly before a featured race, detaining everyone on site, including teens, toddlers and babies.
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Plaintiffs allege the operation amounted to an unconstitutional mass detention and an immigration dragnet that went far beyond the scope of a narrow, nonviolent gambling investigation.
Who was arrested and why the raid initially happened
According to the lawsuit and court records cited in the complaint, the raid was tied to a federal investigation into alleged unlicensed gambling connected to horse racing at La Catedral. Plaintiffs acknowledge that federal agents were investigating a small group of individuals accused of facilitating betting pools on horse races without the required state license and say arrest warrants had been issued before the raid for five people.
The complaint identifies Ivan Tellez, the owner of the La Catedral property, as one of those charged. Plaintiffs say Tellez had a permit to operate horse racing at the venue but did not have a state license to facilitate gambling. The lawsuit states there are no allegations that Tellez engaged in violence, drug activity, or animal cruelty.
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The lawsuit also names Samuel Bejarano Colin as the individual accused of administering the gambling operation. According to the complaint, Colin allegedly organized betting pools on horse races, including parimutuel bets placed in person and through social media. Three others — Dayana Fajardo, Cesar Inguez Orozco and Alejandro Torres Estrada — are accused in the lawsuit of helping facilitate the exchange of money tied to the betting activity. Plaintiffs say Fajardo is Colin’s wife and that the three were alleged to have assisted with collecting or distributing wagers.
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According to the complaint, four of the five individuals were taken into custody during or shortly after the raid, while one was arrested elsewhere. Plaintiffs state that indictments filed days later charged the individuals only with gambling-related offenses and did not include allegations involving drugs, weapons, or violent crime.
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By contrast, the lawsuit alleges that more than 100 people were arrested on immigration-related grounds during the operation, while hundreds of others, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents, were detained for hours but never charged with any crime. Plaintiffs argue that none of the named plaintiffs were questioned about gambling during their detention and that release from the scene was contingent on verifying immigration status, which they contend shows immigration enforcement, not gambling, became the primary focus of the operation.
The lawsuit further alleges the raid was carried out at a time when attendance was expected to be at its highest and at a venue known to draw predominantly Latino families, factors plaintiffs cite as central to their claim that the operation functioned as a large-scale immigration enforcement action rather than a narrowly tailored criminal investigation.
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What plaintiffs allege happened during the raid
According to the lawsuit, the event was peaceful and family-oriented before the raid began. Plaintiffs allege law enforcement arrived in a highly militarized fashion, including officers in tactical gear with rifles drawn, armored vehicles, drones, canine units, snipers positioned on structures, and a helicopter circling overhead.
The complaint alleges officers used flashbang grenades, broke vehicle windows, including vehicles with children inside, shot rubber bullets, and forced compliant attendees, including teenagers and elderly people, to the ground.
After the initial sweep, plaintiffs say officers rounded up the entire crowd, zip-tied most adults and people as young as 14-years-old and ordered people to remain on the racetrack. Families were separated, parents were prevented from locating their children, and others were not allowed to leave, the lawsuit alleges.
The lawsuit details what plaintiffs describe as degrading and unsafe conditions during the hours-long detention, particularly involving access to bathrooms and medical care. According to the complaint, detainees were initially denied use of restrooms, and some were never permitted to go at all, forcing adults and children to relieve themselves in public view of law enforcement officers, other detainees, and passing motorists. Plaintiffs allege that some people used the space between law enforcement vehicles to urinate, while others, including children, were made to do so on the racetrack itself.
The lawsuit further claims officers were unprepared to provide medical care and failed to summon or offer treatment to people in visible distress, including individuals complaining of pain or numbness from zip ties, a woman who allegedly fainted from a panic attack, and a man who plaintiffs say suffered a head injury after being struck with a rifle during the raid and was left bleeding without medical attention.
The lawsuit further alleges law enforcement searched attendees and vehicles without individualized suspicion, emptying pockets and bagging personal belongings, even though most people were never questioned about gambling.
Immigration processing at the center of the lawsuit
A central claim in the lawsuit is that detainees were processed through a tent set up for immigration screening and were not released until they verified lawful immigration status.
According to the complaint, detainees were sorted into lines partly based on perceived ethnicity and appearance, with plaintiffs alleging lighter-skinned individuals were treated differently than darker-skinned individuals. Inside the tent, plaintiffs say they were questioned only about immigration status, not gambling.
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The lawsuit alleges people who could verify lawful status were released immediately, while others were transported to immigration detention. Plaintiffs say about 70% of those detained were U.S. citizens or lawfully present in the country.
Post-raid communications and public statements cited in lawsuit
The lawsuit points to internal communications and public statements made after the raid that plaintiffs argue contradict how the operation was publicly framed.
According to the complaint, defendants internally assessed the raid as a successful immigration operation. The lawsuit cites an email attributed to ICE leadership sent to other defendants after the raid thanking agencies for their support and stating the operation resulted in 105 arrests, adding that the outcome “wouldn’t have been possible without everybody here” and crediting the operation with “putting the Boise ICE office on the map.”
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Plaintiffs argue those internal messages undermine public statements that emphasized gambling enforcement rather than immigration arrests.
The lawsuit also alleges defendants publicly sought to minimize or dispute reports about the treatment of children during the raid. While the complaint alleges minors were zip-tied and states that Caldwell police acknowledged zip-tying children the lawsuit says the FBI initially described reports of zip-tying children as “completely false.” According to the complaint, the FBI later revised its statement, saying the reports were false as to “young children.”
Plaintiffs further cite post-raid statements that linked alleged illegal gambling to violent crime and drug activity. The lawsuit notes that criminal complaints and indictments filed days later contained no charges related to drugs or violence, and argues those public comments overstated the nature of the alleged criminal activity.
WATCH: ACLU lawyer discussed what prompted the class action lawsuit, calling law enforcement actions "egregious violations of constitutional rights"
The complaint also references internal email exchanges among law enforcement leaders praising the operation as a “very successful outcome” and a “massive undertaking” involving more than 200 officers from multiple jurisdictions and states. Plaintiffs allege senior officials from multiple agencies responded to the messages, commending the operation and reaffirming their partnership.
Local mother previously spoke to Idaho News 6
One of the named plaintiffs, Juana Rodriguez, previously spoke with Idaho News 6 about her experience during the raid, which closely mirrors the allegations outlined in the lawsuit.
Rodriguez told Canyon County Neighborhood Reporter Victoria Rodriguez that she was zip-tied for hours and unable to care for her 3-year-old son as he cried for food and water. She said officers refused to untie her so she could comfort him and that her child witnessed his grandfather being taken into immigration custody. Rodriguez described the experience as traumatic for her family.
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In the lawsuit, plaintiffs allege Rodriguez was detained on the racetrack while restrained with zip ties and repeatedly denied requests to be released so she could console her young son. The complaint further alleges her son became increasingly distressed during the detention and that Rodriguez was only briefly untied to use the restroom before being restrained again. The lawsuit cites her experience as one example of how families with young children were allegedly treated during the operation.
Alleged roles of each agency
The lawsuit names multiple federal, state and local agencies and officials, alleging each played a role in planning or carrying out the operation.
According to the complaint, state and local agencies contributed a significant share of the personnel involved. Plaintiffs allege state defendants sent approximately 76 officers, accounting for nearly a quarter of the total law enforcement presence.
The lawsuit alleges the Canyon County Sheriff’s Office deployed an 18-member SWAT team. Caldwell police are alleged to have sent 16 officers and also deployed their SWAT team. Nampa police are alleged to have sent 26 officers, along with a 14-member tactical response team. Idaho State Police are alleged to have deployed a 16-member SWAT team, including snipers, breachers and a tactical medic.
Plaintiffs argue the size and composition of the response was disproportionate to a nonviolent gambling investigation and instead reflects a coordinated, large-scale enforcement action.
What happens next
The lawsuit seeks class action status and alleges violations of constitutional rights, including unreasonable seizure and denial of equal protection. Plaintiffs say the case is intended to hold agencies accountable and prevent similar operations in the future.
No court rulings have been made on the claims. Defendants have not yet filed responses addressing the specific allegations in the lawsuit.
Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam responded to the city's law enforcement being named in the lawsuit, saying, "We take this matter seriously and are committed to following the legal process with integrity and professionalism."
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