r/EmergencyManagement • u/YolkianMofo • 2d ago

Federal agents arrest firefighters working on WA wildfire

https://www.allsides.com/news/2025-08-28-0218/immigration-federal-agents-arrest-firefighters-working-wa-wildfire
15 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

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6

u/RCBilldoz 9h ago

So sorry, your family passed because several firefighters in your area were detained during the active fire. We only had it 13% contained at the time. /s

0

u/shatteringlass123 1d ago

Since this is Fed Incident right? Don’t all contractors have to verify that their employees have “right to work” /“eligibility” to work?

According to statements from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the BLM was concluding a criminal investigation involving the two contracting companies, Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI Arden Solutions Inc.

This wouldn’t have happened if both those private companies were verifying “right to work” eligibility.

A presidential Executive order and subsequent Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) rule required federal contractors to use E-Verify to electronically verify the employment eligibility of employees working under covered federal contracts.

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u/YolkianMofo 1d ago

I really don't care what agency was doing what investigation. It is a slippery slope to allow immigration enforcement to happen within incident areas and will lead to more people dying. I must have missed the NIMS course where they teach that immigration enforcement was a higher priority than life safety and protection of property.

What happens when they set up a checkpoint on an evacuation route? Or one at the entrance to a shelter?

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u/shatteringlass123 1d ago

  1. You are clearly missing the point. In my above comment, I was discussing “right to work” authorization. And how they were in violation of law. And they were investigating an already ongoing event.

  2. But yes let’s go the direction you’re saying, should HSI be involved during the shelter process to ensure “women children and infants are not being trafficked? You know one of HSI primary missions areas.

  3. If you say yes, what’s the difference from one criminal investigations than another?

  4. If you say no, you think it’s okay for women children and infants to be trafficked?

  5. Don’t they already do that? I live in a beach town, you cant cross the bridge after a storm without verifying you live there.

Here is the real slippery slope. Fed creates a new law/policy that states if contractor utilizes individuals without “work authorization” all fund will be denied.

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u/YolkianMofo 1d ago edited 1d ago
  1. And you are clearly missing mine. Regardless of whether or not they were in violation of the law, allowing immigration enforcement during an active incident is wrong. You can have a different opinion, but choosing to back up this action is an interesting choice to say the least.
  2. Yes.

3 You are seriously asking what the difference is between a human trafficking investigation and immigration enforcement? One is a criminal matter, and the other is a largely civil matter. So only one of those is a CRIMINAL investigation. https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/FINAL_criminalizing_undocumented_immigrants_issue_brief_PUBLIC_VERSION.pdf

  1. See above answer, but that is one of the most blatant false dichotomies of all time. "If you don't think that there should be immigration investigations on wildfires you must think it is okay for women and infants to be trafficked". Great job using the most extreme example to try and make me look callous. I am sure they love you using their image to win reddit arguments. Pretty gross behavior if you ask me. Its giving "Abortion protesters holding shoving pictures of fetuses in your face".

  2. "I live in a beach town, you cant cross the bridge after a storm without verifying you live there." Do they also ask if you are a legal citizen? And detain you if you are not? Access control is different from immigration enforcement.

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u/shatteringlass123 1d ago

Actually, it was a criminal investigation.

On Aug. 27, the Port Angeles Border Patrol Station provided assistance to the Bureau of Land Management on the Olympic Peninsula. BLM, working alongside U.S. Forest Service, requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol as work contracts with two firms were terminated. Contracts with Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI Arden Solutions Inc. were terminated following the conclusion of a criminal investigation by BLM.

USBP agents supported BLM rangers in verifying the identities of the contracted personnel. Several discrepancies were identified, and two individuals were found to be present in the United States illegally, one with a previous order of removal. The two individuals were arrested and transported to the Bellingham Station on charges of illegal entry and 8 US Code § 1326 - Reentry of removed aliens.

1326 is a felony. And not a Civil offense.

But couple storm back they asked for 2 forms of identification to verify you lived on the island.

5

u/YolkianMofo 1d ago

Okay? Even if it was a criminal investigation, I still think immigration and human trafficking aren't equivalent, and doesn't make it less gross to use it as a comparison.

"2 forms of identification to verify you lived on the island"

That still doesn't mean they were checking for legal citizenship. Believe it or not it is incredibly possible for people who are undocumented to have two forms of ID.

You clearly think this is all okay. Not surprising considering you literally are participating in a CBP applicant sub. History rewrites itself and all that.

7

u/overworkedpnw 9h ago

It’s wild to see these clowns trying to defend this action.

If I was a wildland firefighter, I wouldn’t be setting a foot on a fire ground, I’d let the whole damn country burn to the ground.

They seriously expect them to risk their lives for agencies that have no problem letting people be kidnapped? Fuck that, no fire fighter should be going anywhere.