Two firefighters who were part of a 44-person crew fighting a wildfire on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula were apprehended by US Border Patrol officers as part of a multiagency criminal investigation into the two contractors for whom they worked, federal authorities said Thursday.
The US Bureau of Land Management asked the Border Patrol to assist in checking the workers’ identities on Wednesday while crews were working in a remote area, according to a joint statement from the US Department of Homeland Security and the Border Patrol. Border Patrol authorities apprehended two laborers who were illegally present in the United States, according to reports.
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- 1 US senator blasts detentions
- 2 US officials say detentions highlight coordination
- 3 Washington governor ‘deeply concerned’
The BLM terminated contracts with Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI Arden Solutions Inc., both based in Oregon, and escorted the 42 workers from federal land, according to the release. Authorities brought the two arrested firefighters to the Bellingham station and charged them with illegal entry and reentry.
Initial reports that federal officials had arrested firefighters outraged U.S. Senator Patty Murray. Several firefighters who witnessed the incident anonymously informed The Seattle Times that federal authorities had detained two firefighters.
US senator blasts detentions
Murray replied to the news on Thursday, claiming the Trump administration has undermined wildland firefighting by “decimating the Forest Service” and that their immigration policy “is fundamentally sick.”
“Here in the Pacific Northwest, wildfires can, and have, burned entire towns to the ground,” the Democrat said in a statement. “This new Republican policy to detain firefighters on the job is as immoral as it is dangerous.”
Dennis Lawson, the president of the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters, informed the Associated Press that firefighters function as a cohesive team, and the loss of a member for any reason diminishes their ability to serve the communities.
US officials say detentions highlight coordination
According to US Border Patrol Blaine Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rosario Vasquez, the endeavor emphasizes the importance of coordination among federal agencies in ensuring the integrity of government operations.
“U.S. Border Patrol steadfastly enforces the laws of the United States and unapologetically addresses violations of immigration law wherever they are encountered,” Vasquez said.
The teams were assisting with the Bear Gulch Fire, which had consumed around 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) on the north side of Lake Cushman in the Olympic National Forest and National Park. It was 13% contained by Thursday afternoon.
Oregon Senator Ron Wyden stated on the social media site X that one of the jailed firefighters was from Oregon and condemned the arrest, claiming that it made communities less safe. The individual is represented by lawyers from the charity Innovation Law Lab, who claim he was wrongfully detained and they have been unable to contact him.
“We demand that they allow him to access counsel as is his right afforded by the U.S. Constitution,” lawyer Rodrigo Fernandez-Ortega said in an email. “We have seen entire towns burned to the ground and it is outrageous that the US border patrol unlawfully detained the brave individuals who are protecting us.”
Washington governor ‘deeply concerned’
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson expressed “deep concern” about the news, noting that firemen help keep communities safe. He stated that his team has contacted federal agencies for more information and “to question why the Trump administration’s cruel immigration policies now extend to individuals fighting forest fires.”
Jennifer Risdal, a representative for the U.S. Forest Service’s Incident Management Team, which is managing the firefighting efforts, stated that they were aware of Border Patrol activities at the fire location but provided no details regarding what occurred.
“The Border Patrol operation is not interfering with firefighting activity and Bear Gulch firefighters continue to make progress on the fire,” Risdal told The Associated Press in an email.
During the first Trump administration, DHS made a statement during the 2020 wildfire season, stating that CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement were worried about the impact of the flames on Western states and that their first goal was “the preservation of life and safety.”
“In consideration of these circumstances, there will be no immigration enforcement initiatives associated with evacuations or sheltering related to the wildfires, except in the event of a serious public safety threat,” the statement said.
Dave Upthegrove, Commissioner of Public Lands, said his department handles Washington’s wildland firefighting efforts and was aware of the Bear Gulch Fire enforcement proceedings.
“While we don’t have all of the details yet, this is all occurring at a time when the Trump administration’s crude and inhumane approach to immigration enforcement has intentionally and unnecessarily stoked fear and mistrust among members of the public — including firefighters putting their lives on the line to protect our state,” he said.
