Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters actively battling Washington’s largest wildfire, prioritizing immigration enforcement over life-saving emergency response operations.
Federal Enforcement Disrupts Emergency Operations
U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested two firefighters on August 27 while they actively fought the Bear Gulch Fire, Washington’s largest active wildfire burning nearly 9,000 acres in Olympic National Forest. The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service requested CBP assistance to conduct identity checks on all 44 firefighters at the site. Both detained individuals worked for Oregon-based private contractors hired by federal agencies to combat the emergency.
The arrests occurred during peak firefighting operations when every crew member’s contribution directly impacts containment efforts and community safety. Federal agencies immediately terminated contracts with Table Rock Forestry and ASI Arden Solutions Inc., removing experienced firefighting resources during an active crisis. This enforcement action represents an unprecedented federal priority shift from emergency response to immigration control at a disaster site.
Legal Violations Compound Emergency Response Failure
One arrested firefighter, a Keizer, Oregon resident with a pending U-Visa application as a crime victim, remains detained in Bellingham, Washington without access to legal counsel or family contact. Innovation Law Lab provides legal representation while condemning the violation of due process rights during emergency service. The U-Visa application demonstrates this individual’s legal pathway toward documented status, making the arrest particularly questionable under constitutional protections.
Legal advocates report significant barriers to attorney access and family communication, suggesting federal agencies prioritized enforcement over basic constitutional rights. The timing and manner of these arrests during life-saving operations raises serious questions about federal priorities and respect for legal processes already in motion. This approach undermines both emergency response effectiveness and constitutional protections for workers engaged in public service.
State Officials Challenge Federal Overreach
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson expressed deep concern and directed his team to investigate the federal enforcement actions during emergency operations. Oregon Senator Ron Wyden called the arrests an “evil stunt,” while Senator Patty Murray condemned the administration’s immigration policy as “fundamentally sick.” These bipartisan condemnations reflect widespread recognition that immigration enforcement during disaster response threatens public safety and basic humanitarian principles.
The federal government’s decision to prioritize immigration enforcement over wildfire containment exposes dangerous misplaced priorities that could cost lives and property. CBP claims firefighting operations continued uninterrupted, but removing trained firefighters and terminating contractor relationships inevitably reduces response capacity during critical operations. This federal overreach demonstrates how bureaucratic enforcement can undermine the very public safety missions these agencies should support.
Sources:
Firefighter Washington ICE Immigration Deported Bear Gulch Fire – OPB
Border Patrol arrests 2 firefighters battling Bear Gulch – ABC News