News Release

Washington, D.C. – Idaho Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, along with Congressmen Mike Simpson and Walt Minnick issued the following statement today regarding the arrest of several Idahoans in Haiti relating to child abduction charges. The Idahoans, members of the Central Valley Baptist Church in Meridian and the East Side Baptist Church in Twin Falls, were part of a U.S. delegation seeking to provide safe housing for Haitian children displaced by the earthquake in Haiti.

“Our offices are often asked to intervene to help Idahoans and, while it is not customary to discuss any details because of constituent privacy, family members and church leadership have allowed us to comment on the situation,” delegation members said.

“We are in steady contact with the U.S. State Department and the U.S. offices in Port-au-Prince regarding the holding of the 10 Americans, many of them from Idaho. We are working with the State Department to monitor the safety of these Idahoans and to make sure they have adequate food, water, medical care and proper housing. We hope for their return to the United States as quickly as possible.”