Local law enforcement leaders share concerns with US Attorney General Merrick Garland in a closed-door meeting

The top two government law enforcement officials visited Boise Tuesday, part of a multi-state tour for Attorney General Merrick Garland and US Solicitor General (and Boise native) Elizabeth Prelogar.

The pair spoke with Ada and Canyon County sheriffs, police chiefs from Boise, Nampa and Caldwell, Idaho State Police leadership and leaders of local federal agency offices like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, US Marshals and Drug Enforcement Agency. United States Attorney for the District of Idaho, Josh Hurwit, hosted the meeting.

In prepared remarks, Garland praised a 15% reduction in Idaho’s murder rate from 2022 to 2023, and declining violent crime statistics in Idaho he said are on par with reductions nationally.

He spoke of the importance of partnerships with local law enforcement, and the collaborative work done between local agencies and the US Attorney’s office in Idaho, noting several recent investigations and prosecutorial successes.

“The Justice Department is working in Idaho and across the country to arrest violent felons, to seize and trace guns used in violent crime, to disrupt violent drug trafficking, and to prosecute the individuals and the gangs most responsible for the highest degree of violence, Garland said.

He did not take questions from reporters, and assembled media were escorted out of the meeting following his prepared statement.

From there, attendees had the chance to share their concerns with Garland and Prelogar, explained Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford.

“(Canyon County) Sheriff (Kieran) Donahue and I really hit big on the border and the fentanyl crisis,” Clifford said.

Donahue, also the current president of the National Sheriffs Association, has been a vocal critic of the Biden Administration’s policies, which he said have led to an “open border.”

Encounters with migrant persons at the southern border reached a three-year low in June, according to data from US Customs and Border Protectionbut they are still significantly higher compared to pre-pandemic years.

“We were maybe ready for a little bit of a polite disagreement,” Clifford said by phone after the meeting. “But (Garland) acknowledged our concerns and said, ‘yes, that’s something we need to work on, we need to work harder on.'”

Garland didn’t offer the group too many specifics, but he did talk about recent trips to Mexico trying to pressure the county’s government to do more to fight the cartels and help the US with the growing fentanyl problem.

He referred to the battle against the cartels in Mexico as a war, Clifford and Donahue noted.

Donahue, who continued to heap blame on the Biden Administration’s border policies in a phone call after Tuesday’s meeting, said he felt like Garland genuinely listened and heard their concerns.

“He didn’t make those policies,” Donahue said. “He’s dealing with them as a law enforcement professional like we have to.”

Donahue encouraged Garland to aggressively pursue cartel members on both sides of the border, and work to stop China’s influence on the fentanyl trade.

“The sheriffs stand behind you to go after these guys,” Donahue said. He called the meeting productive.

Other issues raised with the Attorney General included a need for more help to investigate missing indigenous persons in Idaho, and the general need for more resources at all levels of law enforcement.

“We all kind of echoed the same message,” Clifford said. “We really appreciate the cooperation with the AG’s office or the US Attorney’s office. None of us have the resources to do it by ourselves.”

Donahue said cooperation between local and federal agencies in Idaho has picked up speed since Hurwit was sworn in as US Attorney for Idaho in June 2022. Amid the concerns, Tuesday’s meeting included thank yous and success stories of partnerships.

For Clifford, who admits he approached the election-year meeting with a “little grain of sand,” the dynamic of the meeting was a pleasant surprise.

“Having the attorney general come in, to at least hear what we have concerns about, it was helpful. It gives me a little bit of hope for the future,” he said.

Garland’s visit to Idaho was over by lunch; his entourage departed for a similar meeting in Wyoming later in the afternoon. A spokesperson said he’ll also visit US Attorneys offices in South Dakota and Kansas this week.