Two individuals working on federal lands in Washington state were arrested last week after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) determined they were in the country illegally, contradicting media claims that frontline firefighters were pulled from active wildfire operations.
Arresting firefighters putting their lives on the line to protect our communities doesn't make us safer. This evil stunt is putting families in harm's way just so Donald Trump can score a Fox News hit. https://t.co/72ZAM4tvuS
— Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) August 28, 2025
The incident took place after the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) requested CBP assistance to verify the identities of work crews operating in a remote location.
According to an official CBP statement, BLM rangers asked Border Patrol agents to confirm that contractors on-site matched the rosters provided by their employer.
“Due to the remote location of the work site, BLM requested USBP assistance verifying the identities of all personnel present.
The work crews, totaling 44 individuals, required identity verification to ensure that the individuals on-site matched the contractor rosters,” CBP said in its release.
During the process, officials identified discrepancies in records.
Two individuals were confirmed to be in the United States illegally, including one with a prior order of removal.
Both were detained and transported to the Bellingham Station on charges of illegal entry and reentry after removal under 8 U.S. Code 1326.
The remaining 42 workers were cleared and released from the scene.
CBP emphasized that “the contract termination and enforcement action did not interfere with firefighting operations or the response to any active fires in the area, nor did it pose any danger to the surrounding community.”
The two illegal aliens apprehended were NOT firefighters.
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 29, 2025
The two contracted work crews questioned on the day of their arrests were not even assigned to actively fight the fire; they were there in a support role, cutting logs into firewood. The firefighting response remained… pic.twitter.com/hr5LpcH340
According to investigators, the workers had been hired by an independent contractor based in Oregon.
While they were listed as firefighters on official rosters, neither individual was actively engaged in fire suppression at the time of the arrests.
Officials said they were performing non-firefighting duties such as wood chopping.
Despite the official account, reports circulated widely on social media claiming that Border Patrol had pulled firefighters from the front lines of a wildfire.
The Associated Press and other outlets highlighted the incident with images of active fire scenes, which critics said gave the misleading impression that firefighting efforts had been disrupted.
Attorneys for one of the men said their client had lived in Oregon since childhood and applied for a U visa in 2018 after he and his family were victims of a federal crime.
His lawyer argued that the case had been delayed for more than seven years by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The attorney declined to confirm whether his client had deferred status.
The other man had previously been ordered removed from the United States.
Both remain in federal custody pending further proceedings.
The case quickly drew attention from lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas (D-Ore.) criticized the arrests in a public statement, saying, “ICE detained two firefighters who were working to stop a wildfire. These people are risking their lives to keep communities safe. How does this make Americans safer? Every day this Administration finds a new way to show how backward and inhumane it is.”
ICE detained two firefights who were working to stop a wildfire. These people are risking their lives to keep communities safe. How does this make Americans safer? Every day this Administration finds a new way to show how backward and inhumane it is. https://t.co/zovzqJQ5YJ
— Congresswoman Andrea Salinas (@RepSalinas) August 29, 2025
CBP officials, however, disputed the characterization that the arrests interfered with firefighting or endangered communities.
The agency reiterated that the men were not engaged in active fire suppression when they were taken into custody.
The arrests highlight continuing debate over federal immigration enforcement and contractor hiring practices.
Officials said the case originated with contractor record discrepancies and was not part of a targeted immigration operation against firefighting personnel.
