A federal immigration raid in Wilder last October draws attention on Capitol Hill as one family reports lasting trauma and questions enforcement tactics. WASHINGTON — A federal immigration raid in Wilder last October is now drawing attention on Capitol Hill, where one Idaho family claims the operation left lasting trauma and raised questions about enforcement tactics. At a forum titled “How Trump’s Immigration Agenda Endangers Children,” Anabel Romero, a U.S. citizen and mother of three, testified before members of the U.S. Senate, describing what she called a terrifying encounter with federal agents at La Catedral horse race track. “That is cruelty, and that should not be happening in this country,” Rep. Robert Garcia said during the forum. The October raid at La Catedral quickly became one of the most widely discussed immigration enforcement actions in Idaho in recent years. Romero said she attended the forum to share her family’s experience and highlight what she believes are broader concerns about how immigration operations affect children. “I wanted to attend the forum just to kind of get my story out there and let everybody know that it’s not a lie, that it’s true of what’s going on,” Romero said. “Children are being victims of ICE.” Lawmakers pressed Romero for details about the incident. Rep. Ro Khanna of California asked her to confirm whether agents threatened her during the encounter. “You were in Idaho at a horse race with your kids. And is it correct that ICE officers then came up to you and said that they would blow your head off?” Khanna asked Romero, who responded that agents used explicit language to threaten her. Romero also described how her children were treated, including her 14-year-old daughter, who she said was zip-tied during the operation. “They didn’t care what trauma they caused my children,” Romero said. “She fell, she got dragged out, she got guns pointed at her. They opened the other door where my other two children were, and they were screaming.” Rep. James Walkinshaw of Virginia challenged statements previously made by President Donald Trump's administration that no children were restrained during the raid. “The Trump administration said after this incident that no children were zip-tied during the raid — and we’ve heard the administration lie time after time,” Walkinshaw said. Sen. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, who organized the forum, emphasized that the witnesses were U.S. citizens. “Every witness here is a United States citizen — no criminal background, no history of wrongdoing,” Blumenthal said. “A United States citizen who either is or represents children who have been brutally terrorized.” Back in Idaho, Romero said she has not received outreach from state leaders following the incident. “I want Idaho to take accountability,” Romero said. “The governor hasn't even reached out to apologize. I haven’t gotten any apology from anybody here in my state. I’ve gotten apologies from other states instead of ours.” Romero said the experience has changed how she views her identity as an American. “There’s no benefit of being an American citizen, honestly,” Romero said. “I got treated like I wasn’t. I felt ashamed to even be an American citizen because they didn’t respect that.” Despite that, Romero said she plans to continue speaking out. “Don’t be afraid. We’ve already been through the worst,” Romero said. “I will be speaking not just for my family, but for everybody.” The Wilder raid has since taken on national significance. A federal lawsuit has been filed over the operation and its impact on Idaho families, and lawmakers in Washington say testimonies like Romero’s could influence future immigration policy debates.