In a troubling incident, immigration agents arrested two Mexican contractors who were actively assisting in the firefighting efforts in the Olympic National Forest in Washington. This event marks one of the first known instances of federal immigration agents entering a fire zone to enforce the mass deportation orders under the Trump administration, according to veteran firefighters.
On Wednesday morning, around 9 a.m., two work crews composed of 44 firefighters were gathered at a staging site near Lake Cushman, just a mile away from the Bear Gulch fire line. Crew boss, David Diaz, reported that they were preparing to spend the day chopping lumber when federal agents arrived unexpectedly. The Bear Gulch fire, which ignited on July 6, has burned nearly 9,000 acres and was reported to be only 13% contained as of Thursday evening.
Among the contract workers, 20 were Mexican nationals, all of whom possessed work visas and passports. Despite this, federal officials arrested two individuals on the grounds of suspected illegal presence in the United States. Washington Governor Bob Ferguson expressed his deep concern regarding the situation via social media, highlighting the distressing implications of such actions during a crisis.
Diaz recounted a suspicious encounter with a black truck that he recognized from a previous week’s visit to Walmart, where his crew had gathered supplies. The truck had followed them to a hardware store and a gas station, leading to feelings of being monitored. “We saw the black truck literally do a U-turn right in front of us while we’re at the store,” Diaz stated, indicating that they had been closely observed.
Footage shared by Diaz on social media illustrated the moment when Border Patrol agents detained two crew members, with other videos showing crew members lined up in front of federal agents. In a statement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) indicated that the arrests were part of a criminal investigation into the two contracting companies involved: Table Rock Forestry Inc. from Oregon and ASI Arden Solutions Inc. from Idaho. However, specific details about the investigation have not been disclosed.
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM), which manages 245 million acres of federal land, had sought assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol to verify the identities of all work crew members. One of those arrested reportedly had a prior order of removal on record. Following the arrests, CBP confirmed that contracts with the firefighting companies had been terminated, although they asserted that this enforcement action did not disrupt ongoing firefighting operations or endanger the surrounding community.
The enforcement action left many crew members feeling disheartened, as they were not permitted to bid farewell to their detained colleagues and had to endure a three-hour wait while their records were checked. Diaz poignantly reflected on the emotional toll of the situation, stating, “All I could do was hand one of the detained men a mango cream soda.” He noted the challenges faced by private contractors in accessing firefighting opportunities, emphasizing the critical shortage of resources in combating wildfires.
The Pacific Northwest, including Washington and Oregon, increasingly relies on contract crews like Diaz’s due to a federal firefighter shortage. In contrast to California’s comprehensive multi-agency approach to fire management, the Pacific Northwest often depends on private companies to fill vacant positions, which can create vulnerabilities in emergency response operations.
Steve Gutierrez, a union representative with the National Federation of Federal Employees, voiced concerns about the implications of such enforcement actions during active firefighting efforts. He remarked, “This wouldn’t happen with the Forest Service,” which mandates strict background checks, including citizenship status. The occurrence of immigration enforcement actions in fire zones is rare, and this incident could signal a shift in how the Trump administration addresses natural disasters.
Earlier this year, Trump rescinded a policy established during the Biden administration that prohibited immigration enforcement at sensitive locations, which included areas affected by natural disasters. This change appears to have contributed to the recent arrests, marking a significant departure from previous practices. “This is the first time this has happened in all my 26 years in firefighting,” Diaz lamented, suggesting that there could have been more humane approaches to the situation.
