On June 5, Idaho Gov. Brad Little announced a partnership between Idaho State Police and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, utilizing the 287(g) program. Under the agreement, ICE will delegate authority to Idaho State Police to perform specific immigration officer functions. In a press release, Little says Idaho will transport "dangerous illegal alien criminals" from Idaho jails to ICE detention facilities, like the Jefferson County Detention Center in Rigby. "Idaho has taken many steps to increase our coordination with the Trump administration in the enforcement of our nation's immigration laws, and I want to further strengthen our state's partnership with President Trump to help address the national emergency posed by years of reckless border policies under the Biden-Harris administration," Little states. The ACLU of Idaho argues that the partnership will cause real harm by intimidating immigrant communities and could lead to constitutional violations. "Immigrants make our communities stronger, and they deserve to be treated with dignity," an ACLU of Idaho press release states. "Nothing will ever change the fact that immigrants belong in Idaho." (VICTOR CORRAL MARTINEZ)
SEARCH FOR MURDER SUSPECT
Gov. Bob Ferguson has ordered the Washington National Guard to support the search for Travis Decker, 32, who is suspected of killing his three daughters, ages 9, 8 and 5. The bodies of the three girls were discovered June 2 near Rock Island Campground west of Leavenworth. Autopsies concluded that suffocation was the manner of death and ruled each a homicide. In a press release, Ferguson said he is committed to supporting law enforcement in their search for Decker and seeking justice for the girls' family. "As a parent, my heart goes out to Paityn, Evelyn and Olivia's mom, Whitney, and all those who love them," Ferguson said. The Chelan County Sheriff's Office noted that Decker is a military veteran with extensive training, capable of spending weeks in the wilderness. If spotted, the public should not approach Decker but call 911. Recreation areas closed near the scene have reopened, but the sheriff's office warns residents to remain vigilant. (VCM)
ACTUALLY, LET'S NOT
Two years after the University of Idaho announced its plan to buy the mostly online University of Phoenix and merge the two schools, officials have announced that the $685 million deal is dead. "Although we continue to see great value in University of Phoenix, it has become cost prohibitive, and potentially distracting to our other work, to continue conversations," U of I President C. Scott Green stated on June 3. The merger was originally announced in May 2023, but was criticized by legislators who sounded the alarm about acquiring a university that was being investigated for deceptive advertisements. Idaho lawmakers did not approve the now-abandoned merger during the 2024 legislative session, and the deal wasn't brought back for consideration in 2025. In December 2019, the Federal Trade Commission announced that the University of Phoenix would have to pay $191 million, including $141 million in canceled student debt, "to resolve allegations that they used deceptive advertisements falsely touting their relationships and job opportunities with companies such as AT&T, Yahoo!, Microsoft, Twitter and The American Red Cross." By September 2023, the FTC and the U.S. Department of Education had applied nearly $90 million more in loan forgiveness to impacted students. (COLTON RASANEN) ♦
