House passes bill expanding state-level immigration enforcement measures; sponsors cite Texas model

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House of Representatives on Feb. 10, 2025, passed House Bill 83, a measure to expand state-level actions related to unauthorized immigration, voting 61–9.

Sponsors described the bill as modeled on recent measures from other states and said it restricts enforcement to situations where a person is detained or investigated for an independent crime. The bill includes a requested initial appropriation and additional funding sought for fiscal year 2026.

Representative (District 12), who presented the bill, told the House the measure was modeled on a Texas law and that the U.S. Supreme Court had given initial approval to a related Texas measure while the Fifth Circuit issued a stay. The sponsor said stakeholders including dairy and home-building industry groups suggested amendments. He said the bill was intended to help state law enforcement assist federal authorities when unauthorized immigrants are suspected of unrelated crimes.

Representative (District 10), who spoke in favor, read amendment language for the bill and emphasized the bill’s focus on criminal detentions: “Law enforcement officers may enforce the provision of this section only when a person is detained or investigated for suspected commission of an independent crime,” the representative read aloud from the floor.

Opponents said the bill risked legal exposure and extra costs. Representative (District 16) warned lawmakers they were likely to face constitutional challenges and higher public-defender costs not reflected in the fiscal note, saying, “We're not gonna fix America's broken federal immigration system with a questionably constitutional state law that weakens civil rights protections and penalizes Idaho's most productive industries.”

Sponsor-provided fiscal details cited during debate included an initial request of $250,000 and a proposed $1 million general-fund appropriation for FY2026. The sponsor described estimated transportation costs for out-of-state extradition averaging about $4,500 per transport, FY2024 per-person incarceration costs of $92.86 at state facilities and $74.49 at county facilities, and per-transaction forensic and Bureau of Criminal Investigation costs described in the debate as roughly $117.64 and $13.64 respectively. The sponsor said the bill was modeled with an estimated universe of 40,000 individuals (citing a press report that estimated 35,000 unauthorized immigrants in Idaho) and reported a consolidated cost figure during debate of about $545,675.66 based on his calculations.

The final roll call on House passage recorded 61 ayes and 9 nays. The presiding officer announced House Bill 83 had passed and that the bill would be transferred to the Senate.