r/Firefighting • u/AngronOfTheTwelfth • 2d ago

General Discussion Border Patrol agents arrested firefighters fighting Washington wildfire after they asked the fire crew to line up to check their IDs.

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What do we all think of this? Seems pretty nuts to me. They are actively getting in the way of wildlands guys as they do their job out there. I dont think this should be allowed or encouraged. Firefighting is a lot more important than .... risking 20 guys dressed exactly like firefighters crossing the Canadian border?

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u/Serious_Cobbler9693 Retired FireFighter/Driver 2d ago

I'm not sure about wildland guys, but when I was a firefighter we didn't carry any ID on us or you take a chance of losing it in a burning building or when you are hanging upside down in a car that has flipped on the highway.

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u/lemonlimesodas 2d ago

Exactly I rarely carry my wallet while on the line, so what then. I can't prove I'm a citizen right then and there and get shipped off to Uganda?

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u/TheBrianiac 1d ago

I feel like this has been dramaticized by the media. I watched an ICE documentary (albeit over 5 years ago) and they had mobile fingerprint readers that could identify you if you didn't have ID. They are mainly going after visa overstays, so they have the fingerprints of the people they are looking for.

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u/WorldlinessFar609 1d ago

Biometrics isn't that reliable, especially and obviously if you're trying to ID a fingerprint of someone likely to have calluses. (sp?) Which one would expect of people swinging axes and shovels for a living ffs.

In any case, pulling someone from active duty firefighting is an abhorrent disrespect and danger to the colleagues and protectees of said firefighters.

Honestly, I can't imagine why anyone would defend these methods, man.

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u/immaREPORTthat 1d ago

They are going after everyone but the violent cartel members. Any soft target that poses zero threat to Americans.

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u/SrRoundedbyFools 19h ago

Crazy because fingerprint identification has been made off the area roughly the size of a #2 pencil eraser.

I’ve fingerprinted hundreds of people and the system was able to identify people in less than a minute. The mobile readers are only slow in low data areas. They’re very effective.

If anyone really cares about why Border Patrol was there is was at the request of BLM due to a CRIMINAL investigation for time card fraud that was widespread to the point two companies trying to steal from the public coffers and both were fired because of overt theft.

Do firefighters back fraud and theft acts committed by their fellow firefighters?

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u/snrub742 1d ago

I think any disruption to a fire response by ICE is incorrect. But hey that's just me

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u/TheBrianiac 1d ago

That's not what I was replying to

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u/snrub742 1d ago

That's what the thread is about.

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u/anoncop4041 1d ago

More than that. A simple Ncis/your state equivalent(every state has one) can pull up your info. It’s not hard to do and takes under a minute or two at most. If a person is providing false information, there will be no record of them. No different than if a person gets pulled over without their license on them.

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u/Superb-Brilliant-911 17h ago

Domt try and use logic with anti ice people. Even if the person has been deported 3x and is a wife beating drunk driver they are against ice deporting them without another trial even tho they have the orders signed by a judge.

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u/Kitty_gaalore1904 1d ago

How nice it must be to ignore thigs that don't effect you as being "over dramatized".

What privilege....