Two firefighters detained by ICE

Two firefighters were detained by U S immigration executives while responding to a wildfire on Washington s Olympic Peninsula raising questions about federal enforcement in exigency situations The arrests occurred on August during efforts to contain the -acre Bear Gulch wildfire Administration detained two members of a -person crew from Oregon-based contractors Table Rock Forestry Inc and ASI Arden Solutions Inc after verifying the identities of all crew members The remaining firefighters were allowed to continue working Executives noted the two detained individuals were in the U S without legal status One of them an Oregon resident who has been in the country since childhood and is awaiting a U-visa is represented by attorneys who argue the arrest violated Department of Homeland Assurance policies that generally prohibit immigration enforcement at emergency response sites The matter prompted swift populace reaction Senator Patty Murray of Washington criticized the detentions saying the Trump administration s immigration policies could compromise urgency response efforts Governor Bob Ferguson also expressed concern and announced his office would investigate The U S Margin Patrol declined to comment on the specific circumstances of the arrests citing ongoing investigations Wildfire agents stated the rest of the crew continued firefighting operations without interruption The arrests highlight the tension between immigration enforcement and urgency response Critics warn that similar actions could discourage immigrant workers from participating in essential services potentially affecting wildfire containment and other calamity response efforts in the future Read more about this topic Mom and child detained over visa error published from US facility Chaplain detained by ICE was not the same after solitary confinement friends say MAGA immigrant loyalist detained under policies he cheered The post Two firefighters detained by ICE appeared first on Salon com