WA leaders condemn firefighter arrests, call Trump immigration policy ‘sick’
Editor’s note: The Department of Homeland Security on Friday issued a new statement clarifying the role of the two people arrested at the Bear Gulch fire, saying they were not fighting the fire but working in a support role.
U.S. Sen. Patty Murray on Thursday decried the Trump administration’s immigration policy as “fundamentally sick” following the arrests of two firefighters by federal agents.
Federal law enforcement apprehended the two firefighters Wednesday at the Bear Gulch fire on the Olympic Peninsula. The fire has burned nearly 9,000 acres of steep forestlands about 10 miles northwest of Hoodsport. More than 400 people are working on the fire, which is considered 13% contained.
Federal agents over the span of three hours ordered members of two private contractor crews to show identification amid efforts to fight the biggest active fire in the state, according to The Seattle Times. The management team in charge of the firefighting response reportedly said Wednesday that they were “aware of a Border Patrol operation on the fire.”
The arrests are emblematic of the federal government’s aggressive immigration crackdown since President Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January.
Murray, a Washington Democrat, blasted Trump in an Aug. 28 statement, arguing that he’s eroded wildland firefighting capabilities in multiple ways, including mass layoffs at the U.S. Forest Service.
“This administration’s immigration policy is fundamentally sick,” Murray said. “Trump has wrongfully detained everyone from lawful green card holders to American citizens — no one should assume this was necessary or appropriate.”
Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson said in an emailed statement to McClatchy on Thursday that he has directed his team to contact federal agencies for additional information and “to question why the Trump Administration’s cruel immigration policies now extend to individuals fighting forest fires.” He’s also seeking answers on the individuals’ current location.
“We are indebted to the courageous firefighters who keep our communities safe,” Ferguson said. “I am deeply concerned about the arrest of two individuals who were fighting wildfires in our state.”
McClatchy has contacted the White House, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Border Patrol and the Department of Homeland Security seeking comment. DHS pointed the news organization to an Aug. 28 news release about the incident.
The Bureau of Land Management, working alongside the U.S. Forest Service, had asked for assistance from U.S. Border Patrol “as work contracts with two firms were terminated,” according to the release. Those terminations came after the conclusion of a BLM-led criminal investigation. Because of the work site’s remote location, BLM had asked for Border Patrol’s help verifying the identities of personnel to ensure that those present matched the contractor rosters.
Two people were found to be in the country illegally, one of whom had a prior order of removal, according to the news release. They were arrested and taken to the Bellingham Station on “charges of illegal entry and 8 USC Code § 1326 - Reentry of removed aliens.”
Such actions didn’t impede firefighting operations or active fire response, or pose a danger to the community, the release says.
“This cooperative effort highlights the coordination between federal agencies in ensuring the integrity of government operations and maintaining public trust in fiduciary matters,” said USBP Blaine Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rosario P. Vasquez. “U.S. Border Patrol steadfastly enforces the laws of the United States and unapologetically addresses violations of immigration law wherever they are encountered.”
Murray, who serves as vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, railed against the detainment of on-the-job firefighters as both dangerous and immoral. She noted that in the Pacific Northwest, wildfires have razed entire towns.
She said Thursday morning that she’s seeking immediate answers about where the detained firefighters are, the circumstances surrounding their arrests, and the administration’s policy on immigration enforcement amid wildfires.
This story was originally published August 28, 2025 at 2:25 PM.
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