Two Firefighters Held At Washington ICE Detention Center Amid Wildfire, U.S. Representative Says
Two firefighters responding to a wildfire in Washington state were detained by U.S. border agents and are currently being held at an ICE detention center in Tacoma, according to U.S. Rep. Emily Randall. The firefighters, who were working for contracted companies to help fight the 9,000-acre Bear Gulch fire in the Olympic National Forest, were arrested on Wednesday.
Randall, who represents the district where the detention center is located, visited the facility on Saturday but was not allowed inside. However, officials confirmed that the two detained individuals were indeed the firefighters in question.
One of the arrested firefighters, represented by lawyer Stephen Manning, had come to the U.S. as a child and was awaiting a response to a visa application after being a victim of a crime in Oregon. The Bureau of Land Management terminated contracts with the firefighting companies after a criminal investigation, leading to the arrests of the two individuals.
The wildfire, which started on July 6, was 13% contained as of Saturday. While the Department of Homeland Security stated that the detained individuals were not actively fighting the fire at the time of their arrest, the coordination between BLM and Border Patrol has raised concerns among officials. Washington State Department of Resources Commissioner Dave Upthegrove criticized the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement approach, stating that it has created fear and mistrust among the public, including firefighters risking their lives to protect the state.
ICE officials have faced criticism for high daily arrest quotas that have resulted in the detention of individuals with no criminal record, including legal residents and even U.S. citizens. The situation remains ongoing as efforts are made to address the detainment of the two firefighters and ensure their rights are protected.
(Reporting by Matt McKnight in Tacoma; Additional reporting by Ted Hesson and Valerie Volcovici in Washington. Editing by Donna Bryson and Richard Chang)
