IMMIGRATION STATUS AND NATIONALITY OF ARRESTED INDIVIDUALS – Adds to existing law to establish provisions regarding the immigration status and nationality of arrested individuals.

68th Legislature, 2nd Regular Session (2026)

Idaho bill H 660 requires law enforcement to determine and record immigration status and nationality of arrested individuals during booking procedures.

Read Third Time in Full – PASSED - 40-30-0AYES – Alfieri, Barbieri, Beiswenger, Boyle, Bruce, Burgoyne, Cannon, Cayler, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Ehardt, Ehlers, Fuhriman, Harris, Hawkins, Healey, Hill, Holtzclaw, Hostetler, Leavitt, Marmon, Mendive, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Pickett, Price, Rasor, Redman, Scott, Shepherd, Shirts, Skaug(Chadwick), Tanner(13), Tanner(14), Thompson, Vander Woude, Wisniewski, Mr. SpeakerNAYS – Berch, Bingham, Cheatum, Church, Dygert, Egbert, Erickson, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Hall(Stone), Handy, Haws, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen, Miller, Nelsen, Petzke, Pohanka, Raybould, Raymond, Rubel, Sauter, Veile, Weber, WheelerAbsent – NoneFloor Sponsor - HawkinsTitle apvd - to Senate

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Legislative bill overview

H 660 establishes new provisions requiring law enforcement to determine and record the immigration status and nationality of arrested individuals in Idaho. The bill adds procedural requirements to existing arrest processing protocols, though the specific mechanisms and data handling procedures are not detailed in the current bill summary.

Why is this important

This legislation would create a systematic approach to tracking immigration status in the criminal justice system, affecting how local police departments conduct arrests and maintain records. The data collected could influence resource allocation, deportation referrals, and public safety statistics, while also raising questions about implementation costs and privacy considerations for all arrested persons.

Potential points of contention

Implementation burden: Local law enforcement agencies may lack training, resources, or access to federal immigration databases to accurately determine immigration status, potentially creating delays or errors in arrest processing

Privacy and civil liberties concerns: Expanded collection of immigration status data raises questions about data security, potential misuse, and whether it applies uniformly or disproportionately affects certain communities

Federal-local coordination: Unclear whether the bill requires cooperation with ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and how it aligns with existing sanctuary policies or federal immigration enforcement priorities in Idaho jurisdictions