U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested two firefighters in Washington state on Wednesday after determining they were in the country illegally. The arrests took place while crews were working tirelessly to contain the Bear Gulch Fire, the state’s largest active wildfire, which has already scorched nearly 9,000 acres in the Olympic National Forest.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the U.S. Forest Service requested assistance from a local Border Patrol station after terminating contracts with two firms operating in the area. While BLM did not provide specifics, officials confirmed the decision came after a criminal investigation concluded.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) stated that during identity checks on-site, “several discrepancies were identified, and two individuals were found to be present in the United States illegally, one with a previous order of removal.” Both were taken into custody and transported to the Bellingham Border Patrol Station near the Canadian border.
Fire crews managing the Bear Gulch Fire issued a brief update on Thursday, emphasizing that “the Border Patrol operation is not interfering with firefighting activity and Bear Gulch firefighters continue to make progress on the fire.”
Border Patrol officials defended the arrests, saying the action underscores their role in protecting U.S. law. “This cooperative effort highlights the coordination between federal agencies in ensuring the integrity of government operations and maintaining public trust in fiduciary matters,” Blaine Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rosario P. Vasquez said. “U.S. Border Patrol steadfastly enforces the laws of the United States and unapologetically addresses violations of immigration law wherever they are encountered.”
The development comes against the backdrop of President Donald Trump’s intensified immigration enforcement policies. In just the first seven months of his second term, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has deported nearly 200,000 people, marking one of the highest removal rates in a decade.
The arrests have drawn swift reactions from Washington state leaders. Governor Bob Ferguson said he is “deeply concerned” about the detentions.
“I have asked my team to reach out to federal agencies for more information, to determine where these two individuals are, and to question why the Trump Administration’s cruel immigration policies now extend to individuals fighting forest fires,” Ferguson stated.
Senator Patty Murray echoed those concerns, accusing the administration of jeopardizing wildfire response capabilities. “Trump has undercut our wildland firefighting abilities in more ways than one—from decimating the Forest Service and pushing out thousands of critical support staff, to now apparently detaining firefighters on the job,” she said. “This administration’s immigration policy is fundamentally sick. Trump has wrongfully detained everyone from lawful green card holders to American citizens—no one should assume this was necessary or appropriate.”
The human-caused wildfire on the Olympic Peninsula has been burning since July 6 and, as of Thursday, was just 13% contained. A red flag warning remains in effect, with thunderstorms and high winds threatening to worsen conditions. Firefighters are already stretched thin after back-to-back heatwaves drove temperatures nearly 20 degrees above average in Western Washington.
The arrests also raise questions about federal immigration enforcement during emergencies. Under the Biden administration, DHS pledged it would not carry out immigration operations in disaster zones, including areas impacted by wildfires. By contrast, during Trump’s first term in 2018—when wildfires devastated northern California—DHS temporarily suspended routine enforcement operations in fire zones but retained the authority to detain individuals considered threats to public safety.
It remains unclear whether that policy has shifted under Trump’s second administration.
