BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An FBI-led operation on October 19 at La Catedral Arena in Idaho swept up about 400 people, including U.S. citizens, under the guise of investigating illegal gambling. The traumatic raid involved children witnessing their parents restrained at gunpoint, igniting fierce debate over the appropriateness of tactics used in immigration-related arrests.


Witnesses described scenes where law enforcement officers, representing at least 14 agencies including federal and local forces, restrained minors as young as 8 years old with zip ties. Anabel Romero recalled how her daughter was removed from their vehicle while screams filled the air, exhibiting the chaotic atmosphere present during the operation.


Initial reports from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem dismissed claims of children being zip-tied, although investigators later clarified that young minors were indeed restrained during the process. This aspect of the raid prompted serious concerns among families about the use of force and its psychological effects on children, who were separated from their families for hours.


As families recounted their experiences, multiple individuals claimed their children suffered injuries and emotional trauma during the incident. In one case, an 11-year-old was restrained while another 3-year-old clung to his mother, who was zip-tied as law enforcement asserted control over the situation.


Critics of the operation noted that while the FBI reported involvement in tackling illegal gambling, the majority of detentions resulted from immigration violations. The incident highlighted the contentious intersection of local law enforcement and federal immigration policy, especially in regions with significant immigrant populations.


John Carter, a security guard at the event, commented on the operation, expressing concern that the heavy-handed measures disproportionally affected innocent families. He stated, 'It’s OK to take your family to a public event. Just because there’s 10 people in a crowd doing something illegal, that doesn’t make everyone in that crowd illegal.'


As community members react to the events, the implications for how law enforcement handles immigration issues continue to dominate discussions among officials and citizens alike, particularly following the raid's visible impact on families in the area.