The Spirit Lake Police Department joined the list of Idaho agencies that have agreed to work alongside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Signed on Oct. 8, the Spirit Lake PD entered into a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Training for the program is underway. 

Spirit Lake PD Chief Michael Morlan said joining the program is not about actively seeking out undocumented immigrants to make arrests. 

“We don’t have the time and energy to do that, looking for undocumented immigrants,” he said in a phone interview. “All this is allowing is access to databases and to work in cooperation with ICE.”

The agreement authorizes ICE to delegate state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under ICE’s direction and oversight.     

Spirit Lake became the second city law enforcement agency in North Idaho to do so, alongside the Post Falls Police Department. 

PFPD, which entered into the same agreement in July, announced 15 arrests after joint ICE operations in August. According to Morlan, Post Falls’ results drove the decision.

He said he met with Post Falls Police Chief Mark Brantl, discussed the benefits of working with the feds, and decided it would be a good idea.

Morlan said Spirit Lake continues to see narcotics activity that “comes through here, the back way” along less popular routes heading north.

Morlan said the program's extensive training has already started. 

Like Post Falls, Spirit Lake PD chose the broader Task Force model for their partnership, rather than the Warrant Service Officer model. Morlan said the Task Force Model fits their needs as local enforcement. 

He said the warrant service officer model was tailored to sheriff's offices and jails. 

“That was basically our only choice,” he said. “We don’t fit the jail model because we don’t hold anybody here.” 

Morlan was adamant that any enforcement action the department takes would stem from “a crime that has been committed already.”  

“There is no profiling,” he said. 

He said the joining of the program would “in no way, shape or form” change how they enforce state law. 

He gave a hypothetical example of Spirit Lake PD arresting someone in a stolen car. He said that if the PD learns of an outstanding federal warrant during an investigation, they will contact DHS, inform them of the arrest, and note that the person is in custody at the Kootenai County jail. 

“We’re just going to do what the Feds require law enforcement to do anyway,” he said. 

Morlan said sharing resources with other law enforcement agencies is vital, especially for a smaller law enforcement agency. He said to receive training like this, the department would typically look to grants, donations and other ways of raising funds.

He also said the training will not only affect officers, but also open the door to further training.

Morlan said the training lays out strict guidelines for law enforcement officers.

“They’ve laid it out that you will only be doing A, B, C and D, no more,” he said.