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Lawmakers Push for Answers Days After Border Patrol Detains Crew Workers Helping Firefighters in Washington Blaze
Federal immigration authorities arrested two firefighters during a wildfire response amid an investigation into alleged time card fraud involving a half-hour discrepancy, officials said.
- Federal immigration authorities raided an active wildfire response near Olympic National Park in Washington, arresting two firefighters on illegal entry charges last week.
- The raid occurred on California Interagency Incident Management Team 7's last day overseeing the Bear Gulch fire and involved crews allegedly ambushed at a staging area, raising questions about management's role.
- Many firefighters and advocates criticized the raid for disrupting operations at a 13% contained fire and expressed fear it could deter crews from future deployments.
- One detainee awaited a U-visa response for seven years, and Washington Rep. Emily Randall called the situation "disgusting," emphasizing that detaining those with victim-based immigration benefits violates federal policies.
- The incident has prompted elected leaders to demand more transparency while wildfire veterans warn it stokes distrust among crews and undermines emergency response efforts.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Lawmakers push for answers days after Border Patrol detains crew workers helping firefighters in Washington blaze
Just days after two crew workers helping battle Washington’s largest wildfire were arrested by Border Patrol, Washington Rep. Emily Randall — who represents the district where the men are being held — was denied entry to the facility, calling the situation “disgusting” in an interview with CNN affiliate KOMO.
Firefighters question leaders' role in Washington immigration raid - Finnoexpert
Aug. 31—Wildland firefighters were stunned when federal immigration authorities last week raided an active wildfire response in Washington state, arresting two firefighters and sidelining crews for hours. Wildfire veterans say the operation was nearly unprecedented, a breach in longstanding protocol that federal agents don’t disrupt emergency responders to check immigration status. Worse, many wildfire veterans believe the management team overse…
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