Overview

• CBP confirmed detaining two people in irregular status after checking the identities of 44 firefighters assigned to the Bear Gulch Fire on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula.
• The two detainees worked for private contractor crews, according to the Seattle Times accounts cited in the coverage.
• CBP said federal contracts with the two companies were rescinded following a criminal investigation and provided no additional details.
• The agency stated the action did not impede firefighting operations, while on-scene firefighters described the encounter as threatening and resembling a trap.
• Gov. Bob Ferguson and Democrats Patty Murray and Pramila Jayapal demanded information and condemned the arrests, as Innovation Law Lab alleged a detainee’s location and access to counsel were withheld.