CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — A man was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents just moments after a judge dismissed his criminal case at the Canyon County courthouse on Wednesday, according to video obtained by Idaho News 6.
The incident was captured on video by immigration attorney Rolando Ruano, who represented the man facing a misdemeanor public intoxication charge. The case was ultimately dismissed, and Ruano said his client had no other criminal history.
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"Right outside the courtroom, we were intercepted by ICE officers, and they took my client into custody," recalled Ruano.
The attorney said he had made multiple attempts to have his client attend court via Zoom or to make arguments on his client's behalf, but those requests were denied. Ruano shared the video with Idaho News 6 but asked that his client's face be blurred to protect his identity.
In the video, the man can be heard asking for his attorney and requesting that his family be contacted after being detained.
Ruano said he followed the agents to the parking lot to document what was happening.
"I can't interfere with the arrest. I can't prevent them from arresting my client. They're going to do what they're going to do, but I did walk out here to the parking lot and all the way to the car to at least try to get this on record of what's happening in the Canyon County courthouse, which I don't think is something that should be happening," Ruano said.
WATCH: Rolando Ruano describes the moments his client was detained
The attorney said he was confident the agents were with ICE, though the agency has not responded to repeated requests for information about the arrest.
"I just wanted to let them know that they're not doing the right thing, that they're here in the courts when people are trying to get their things figured out," Ruano added.
This marks the second time in recent weeks that ICE agents have been observed detaining people at the Canyon County Courthouse.
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The Canyon County Sheriff's Office has previously stated that ICE has the authority to be at the courthouse, but local deputies won't get involved unless ICE requests their assistance.
Canyon County Sheriff's Officers Statement:
"The Canyon County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) was advised Tuesday that agents with ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations were present inside the Canyon County Courthouse. Courthouse security personnel with CCSO also confirmed their presence yesterday. CCSO was not asked to assist with or observe any enforcement activity and therefore cannot confirm whether any individuals were detained. ICE is fully authorized under federal law to conduct operations within the courthouse, and CCSO will not impede lawful federal actions. While CCSO does not and cannot enforce federal immigration law, we stand ready to provide limited support upon request from ICE to maintain a safe environment for all courthouse visitors and staff."
Ruano criticized the timing and location of the enforcement action.
"They know where they live, they know where they work, they know all the information, but they choose to come [to] courts at the most vulnerable moment and do that kind of enforcement. And I don't think that's the Idaho way. I don't think that's the way that things should be done," Ruano said.
ICE has not said whether agents will continue operating at the Canyon County courthouse or how frequently they will be taking action.
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This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been, in part, converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
