Have Peruvians Flooded Blaine County?
By Greg Pruett • November 15, 2024Over the last month, social media posts have caught the attention of Idahoans about Peruvians allegedly coming to Idaho, and in particular, Blaine County.
Is this just a rumor, or is there truth to what is alleged? This was something Idaho Dispatch decided to investigate.
First, in mid-October, a video went around X, in which Idaho Dispatch was tagged. In it, a man asked individuals on camera where they were from and where they were headed. According to the subtitles, two of the men in the video said they were from Peru and headed to Idaho.
The video also appears to show James O’Keefe. O’Keefe runs O’Keefe Media Group and has been doing investigative work for well over a decade. This year, he worked on the Mexican border, covering the illegal immigration issue.
Several weeks after the above video surfaced, Theo Wold, a former advisor to President Donald Trump and a fellow Idahoan posted on X, saying,
In Ketchum, Idaho:
AdvertisementHundreds of illegal immigrant families arrive from Peru.
Most do not speak English or Spanish, but indigenous Quechuan.
They have no work visas.
Many have no shelter, with winter approaching.
Americans are generous, but generosity can’t solve this problem.
Kamala Harris’ illegal immigration invasion is greater than the resources available in most American towns; greater than a small community can absorb safely, no matter how generous the taxpayers are.
Border Czar Kamala Harris designed the problem this way: she wants to weaponize your generosity for millions of foreign nationals while your children drown in a sea of violent crime and illegal drugs.”
When Idaho Dispatch saw the post, in conjunction with the video from earlier that month, we figured we had to investigate to find out exactly what was happening.
Ketchum, Idaho, is a small resort town with many visitors during the winter for tourists skiing and doing other winter sports. As of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Ketchum had a population of 3,611 people. Data USA cites a Hispanic population of just 6.6%. This means that only a couple hundred Hispanic people are believed to live in Ketchum proper.
If hundreds of Peruvians have recently arrived in Ketchum, that would be a noticeable number of people for such a small town.
Idaho Dispatch traveled to Ketchum Saturday night. After settling into my hotel room, I decided to go to a local gas station to see if I could talk to an employee about the situation there.
Interestingly, there was a small section of Spanish-labeled snacks in the gas station.
As someone who lived in Caldwell (23% Hispanic out of a population of 68,000) for several years, it is not totally strange to see Spanish-labeled snacks in Idaho. Caldwell has an entire market dedicated to Hispanic food. However, in Ketchum, this wasn’t something I was expecting to see, given its size and the very small Hispanic population.
My family and I live in Rigby, which has just over 5,000 people. Our Hispanic population is around 14%, which is double the Hispanic population of Ketchum. However, none of our four gas stations have a section for snacks in Spanish. There are Hispanic-brand foods, but they have English ingredients and other English wording on them.
To be clear, there is nothing wrong with having a section of Hispanic snacks in the gas station; it was just something I felt was out of place compared to what I was used to in other areas of the state. It was a possible sign that more South American people lived in Ketchum than the data shows.
I spoke with the employee about whether there had been an influx of South American immigrants into the area. The employee told me that ever since President Joe Biden removed many of the border protections put into place by President Donald Trump, there had been a large increase of immigrants, mostly illegal, who had come into Blaine County.
Idaho Dispatch spoke with a law enforcement official in Ketchum about the situation. He confirmed that there had been an influx of South Americans to the area over the last four years, and in particular, he confirmed that many of the individuals arriving were from Peru.
When I asked about any changes in crime, the official said that crime has increased. Specifically, the official said that domestic violence crimes and sex crimes against children were the most common issues. When I asked where the individuals were living, the official was unsure.
Late Monday night, I received a tip about a facility in Hailey that is housing some of the immigrants. Hailey is a 20-minute drive from Ketchum. It is another resort town with a population of around 10,000 people and a non-white Hispanic population of around 10%.
Before I went to Hailey on Tuesday morning, I drove around Ketchum, going into some of the local stores and some of the construction sites, as Ketchum has exploded in recent years. Approximately 50% of the people I saw appeared to be of Hispanic origin. Again, nothing wrong with that, but it is a possible clue that there were more individuals of Hispanic origin than the census data shows for the area.
Several individuals who lived in the area I spoke with at stores also told me that there was a large influx of South Americans.
After driving around Ketchum, I traveled to Hailey. I first went to what used to be a retirement home known as Silvercreek Living. In early 2023, the building was approved for co-living.
Two facilities on the property have 16 studio apartments each. The rooms are between 200 and 300 square feet, and rent, according to some of the residents, is $1,600 a month.
Idaho Dispatch went inside both facilities and talked to three individuals currently residing there.
Two individuals inside one of the facilities were from South America. They both told me that most of the individuals living in the buildings were Peruvian. An individual living in the other building told me that 95% of the individuals residing in the building were from Peru.
Additionally, the individual in the second building Idaho Dispatch visited said that when they first arrived at the facility, there was one infant in the building. Now, they say that there were around 17 kids in the building.
The three individuals said that in both buildings, around four to six people are living in each room to cut down on costs. That would put Silvercreek’s total population at over 100 people.
Idaho Dispatch contacted Hailey Police Chief and asked him a series of questions regarding the situation. Here are our questions and his responses in their entirety, with Idaho Dispatch’s questions in bold:
1. Over the last 4 years, has the city of Hailey seen an increase of individuals who have come to the area, legally or illegally, from South American countries, and in particular, Peru?
“In the most recent 4-year period, Hailey has seen an obvious increase in population. I believe this can be attributed to people moving here from some metropolitan west coast cities and states, because they found they could continue to work from home after things “opened back up” from the 2020 pandemic. After the pandemic, we also saw an increase in persons moving to Hailey and its surrounding area from other countries, including Peru. As to the legality of those that immigrated here, I cannot say for sure.”
2. In talking to locals and other law enforcement officials in the area, the most common crimes/issues they are seeing a rise in has been DUI’s, traffic violations (maybe not knowing the law), as well as sex crimes against children, some of which may be cultural differences. Is that what you have seen as some of the issues that have arisen since the influx happened?
“An increase in growth and population usually comes with an unfortunate increase in crime too. I believe the large majority of individuals that move to our area are hardworking and/or want to contribute to society. However, there are also those that come with a negative and/or criminal past and may have not been vetted at some point, regardless of their immigration or legal status, and continue to violate laws no matter where they are. One thing we do appear to find out is that certain crimes/violations, such as the ones listed above, do tend to be committed more when individuals come to our area and do not familiarize themselves with our State and/or Federal laws. What might be legal or acceptable in someone’s home nation, probably is against the law or different here.“
3. In the sex crimes against children, is that typically inter-cultural? Do you know if it is people within their own community doing the reporting or if it is people outside their community doing the reporting? For instance, are Peruvian people raising concerns, or are non-Peruvians typically reporting those crimes?
“Sex crimes against children or otherwise is always a concern and troubling to investigate, regardless of one’s nationality, gender, or race, and I have found throughout my career that sex crimes or any crime for that matter knows no socio-economic or socio-cultural boundaries. As for the Peruvian populous specifically, those reports come in through first-hand and third-party accounts, like most any other types of reports/complaints do, and we have seen an increase which is expected when you have a rise in population.”
4. Why do you believe there has been a large influx of Peruvians to the area?
“Hailey and its surrounding area is a diverse population and we have abundant agriculture and dairy employment opportunities to the south of us, and a strong option for service/retail employment in Hailey and to the north of us. Therefore, our area can be an attractive place to come and relocate or possibly experience a greater quality of life. Our Peruvian populous seemed to increase near the end of the most-recent pandemic, most-likely because they have or had close family or friends or people in the business industry they knew and thought our area was a viable option. In the last year things have appeared to subside a bit, probably due to a difficult housing/rental shortage we have been facing and I have been told some that had moved here have gone back to their home country or elsewhere, because they did not find our area to be feasible for them or their family.”
5. Please feel free to add anything else you would like, and I’ll let you know if I have any follow-ups.
“The Wood River Valley has grown like a lot of other places in Idaho. Since we are such an attractive state to live, work, and play, we have to also recognize that with expedited growth comes unforeseen and unintended obstacles. However, at the Hailey Police we are dealing with it the best we can and working with our local non-profits, civic leaders, and other community members to achieve the highest level of policing possible for our respective area. Every area is different and we have to know and keep a pulse on our community to be able to do what is best for the safety of those that reside and visit here.“
Idaho Dispatch also contacted the Blaine County Sheriff’s office for an official comment on the Peruvian situation and how it has impacted their communities. We have not received a reply from them yet.
In conclusion, many Peruvians have moved to the area, although the exact number is unknown. If Silvercreek houses nearly 100, it is unknown how many others live in Hailey and how many other migrants, legal or illegal, live in houses or facilities in both towns.
You can view Idaho Dispatch’s video report below:
Tags: Bellevue, Blaine County, Carey, Hailey, Hispanic, illegal immigrants, James O'Keefe, Ketchum, Peru, Peruvian, Silvercreek, Spanish, Steve England, Sun Valley, Theo Wold
Great repoting!
Excellent investigative reporting! Keep it up!
Our politicians and government employed and LE are the enemy destroying the state but we keep reelecting them.
If a half a percent of LE is grouchy you want to get rid of all of them? Have a look at how that worked out in the “defund the police” places. The LE community as a whole deals with dirty jobs that need dealing with to preserve, not attack our society.
It seems we as the lawful citizens of the nation don’t get the full story about what is happening in our country. There appears to me to be giant conspiracy between the federal government and a group of Non-governmental Organizations that are spending huge amounts of money relocating populations of people. None of it is legal with no concern for the impact on the citizenry.
Is it just me or was the Hailey Policeman pretty much doing all he could to avoid the truth- illegals from Peru have been arriving in Idaho, crime is up, local
NGOs are facilitating this illegal migration by housing them while at the same time lining their pockets with taxpayer money from the government. Interesting they happen to flock to the most liberal part of the state-coincidence?
Every state is called a border state, in my humble opinion a notice should be placed in the place they are residing giving notice that President elect Trump plans to have all illegal immigrants deported. Should you require help returning to your country of origin please contact the NGO that has facilitated your stay, for financial assistance. Notice of the local authorities.
Yes. It’s called cop speak. Remember the SCUTUS ruled its ok for them to lie to you.
Should not the local enforcement agencies be checking the status of the people coming into their areas. It can be done gracefully just to ask for proof of legal entry to the US. If not, they need to be sent back. It’s not right to have people coming into the US illegally.
So true. It’s not sustainable that we’re paying with our taxes for.people that violate our country’s sovereignty by entering illegaly.. iIts evil intent for democrats so they can stay in power when these illegals becomes citizen and beholden to them.
Lots of Peruvian men and women working at dairies around Wendell and Jerome. This started about a year ago with a few Peruvian’s coming to work in the area and now just about everyone milking cows in dairies I see are Peruvian. They all seem to be Spanish speaking and appear to be good workers.
Their work ethic is not what is in question here…I’ve known functional alcoholics in my lifetime as well, but certainly don’t condone their driving a motor vehicle on our highways or operating equipment.
I live in Bellevue, work in Hailey. This was a good report. Living here on a daily basis you see the numbers of Illegal Migrants all over, not sure what many of them are doing here, some work, some just walk around, always locked into their phones. We know the Hunger Collation and other ‘charities’ in the Valley are subsidizing them. The Valley Libs just backed and installed a new Sheriff this Election, we have every reason to believe based on his campaign platform (or lack of) he’s going to ramp up the Sanctuary Status of the County and not cooperate with ICE. We expect higher crime and more 3rd World issues to come, Blaine has been transformed forever, the South Valley will never be what it was, time to load up the wagon and go.
Bright Blue Blaine will need some special attention from Tom Hohman and company. We need to call it to his attention early on.
Thank goodness Obama’s puppets Kamala and Biden are out…and that Trump’s in! Law and order are safe for four more years.
I think you will be disappointed, Dad.
Excellent report!
One only needs to look at the the “Recent Arrests” on the SD webpage to see the problem.
I don’t mind Peruvian, but you can tell the difference between the ones who came here correctly and the one who’d just ambushed Idaho. For one they don’t control their kids and have no respect for anything. And what’s makes me even more angry is the fact that our children have to deal with the threat of sexual abuse yes I know it was here before but it had become such a huge issue. They just need to get shipped back and get out. Just because their labor is cheap is not doing the valley any good
I absolutely agree with that, HOWEVER…we all need to be extremely concerned with what they are doing to continue their madness in their remaining two months in “power.”
These are evil people, and the knowledge that their days are numbered is accelerating their desperate attempts to corrupt our country using any means necessary. The damage they’ve done will take time to revert to normalcy…and only time will tell whether four years will be sufficient in order to accomplish it. May God bless our president-elect and those he is selecting to right the ship.
Why nothing from our AG about wets in potato land
Maybe because so many farmers, and cattlemen hire the wets for cheap labor. It doesn’t matter to any of them the crime, filth, and financial burden that is put upon the rest of us.
Farms and Cattlemen have their hands tied by public’s expectations for low food prices. Sourcing cheep labor is hardly a choice for food producers these days, it is a deeply unfortunate industry standard to stay in business. When readers shop for potatoes, do they consider the labor that produced them? Are readers willing to pay more for food that supports their values?
Every time this argument comes up. You willing to pay an American to do this job? Are you willing to have a slave labor class because you don’t want American’s to get a living wage? Why innovate and progress an industry when you can just get slave labor to do it. You can’t cry about bringing jobs back to America if you’re going to bitch and moan about prices.
Would like someone to look at the increase to Teton valley idaho. What is happening in the schools with this increase.
Mr Pruett, why didn’t you reference this area’s sheepherding industry – if not now, at least historical? Peruvian sheperds have been brought to our state for decades, and I would think that actually talking to some of the folks that you identified as possible Peruvians would have been enlightening. A good question would be, ‘Are you a shepherd?’
One of the comments mentions Peruvians employed in the dairies now. Your readers should know that the only agricultural work visas are seasonal, which the dairy industry is not. The Idaho dairy association reminds our legislators annually that their foreign-born employees are ‘illegals’ and begs for them to please ignore this fact.
Also, this growing influx is not a secret to anyone who listens to our BSU radio station
“… As someone who lived in Caldwell (23% Hispanic out of a population of 68,000) …”
Mr. Pruett should do more to get Raul Labrador (a hispanic from Puerto Rico himself) to get that number down toward 0% instead of worrying about a few 100 (maybe) Peruvians in the Wood River Valley area.
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Sounds like you’re the invader, walking into people’s homes and creeping our community TF out. We don’t want you here, go back to where you came from.
These Peruvian people are thieves (freeloaders) and law breakers. They know coming here is illegal but they are choosing to do it anyway. They are a bad example to their children as they’re teaching them to be a law breaker and a criminal. The money they are being given is OUR money that we worked for. It is not for the gov to hand out as they choose. This is illegal and treasonous. We have veterans and others here that can be assisted with that money.
Plus, the country as a whole IS FLAT BROKE!!! with over 35 trillion in debt and growing each day. All illegals (criminals) should be humanly rounded up and removed from the country WITH NO EXCEPTIONS!!! They should pay the consequences for breaking our laws. I thought the wicked rulers of our country were in favor of population control? yet they flood in the 3rd world here and all other Western countries, vastly increasing our population…hmmm??? And notice they want as many people as possible who are unskilled and will most likely be on some form of gov assistance. And they say there is no conspiracy. It’s pretty clear that they (gov officials) are trying to bankrupt and destroy this country and the other “Western” nations. Sounds and looks like a pretty clear conspiracy to me.
The politicians that facilitated this scam/ conspiracy should be put in jail for breaking our laws and abusing their positions. They are criminals also and should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. All the murders, rapes and drug overdoses are on them. Their hands have blood on them. Will they be held accountable by DJT? Only time will tell.
“Many have no shelter, with winter approaching.”
Sounds like this problem will fix it self shortly. Once Trump takes office, start reporting them.
Excellent reporting. Keep up the good work!!
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