U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters on Wednesday (August 27) who were battling the Bear Gulch Fire on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula. The arrests occurred during a multiagency investigation into the contractors they worked for. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requested the Border Patrol’s assistance to verify the workers’ identities. Two individuals were found to be in the U.S. illegally and were detained on charges of illegal entry and reentry.
The BLM terminated contracts with Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI Arden Solutions Inc., both based in Oregon, and removed the remaining 42 workers from federal land. The incident has sparked outrage among some lawmakers and officials. U.S. Senator Patty Murray criticized the arrests, stating that the current immigration policy is “fundamentally sick” and dangerous, especially during wildfire season.
The Bear Gulch Fire, located on the north side of Lake Cushman in the Olympic National Forest, has burned approximately 14 square miles and was 13% contained as of Thursday afternoon. Despite the arrests, firefighting efforts continue, and the Border Patrol’s operation has not interfered with the ongoing work to contain the fire.
Washington Governor Bob Ferguson expressed concern over the situation, questioning the necessity of such immigration enforcement during critical firefighting operations. The arrested firefighters are represented by lawyers from the nonprofit Innovation Law Lab, who claim the detention was unlawful and are demanding access to legal counsel for their clients.
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