Democrats seek “immediate answer” after reporting U.S. border agents arrest firefighters | Washington State

Washington Senator Patty Murray calls for Trump administration To provide an “immediate answer” about the report, two firefighters were detained by border agents in response to state wildfires.

federal Immigration authorities An action was held on Wednesday at the scene of the Bear Canyon fire, which covers nearly 9,000 acres (3,600 hectares) in the Olympic National Forest. Seattle Times Report first. The fire is the largest burn in the state at present.

The identity of the firefighter has not been made public and federal immigration officials have not said why they were arrested.

exist statement Murray released Thursday morning asking for information on whereabouts of firefighters and the government’s policy on immigration enforcement during wildfires.

“This administration’s immigration policy is fundamentally pathological. Trump mistakenly detains everyone from legal green card holders to U.S. citizens – no one should consider it necessary or appropriate,” she said.

The senator said the president has been weakening firefighting capabilities in other ways, including by “reducing” the U.S. Forest Service. The government has greatly cut budgets and staffing in institutions that manage most of the country’s federal lands, leaving the United States unprepared for this year’s fire season Previous reports.

“In the Pacific Northwest, wildfires can [burn] And burned the entire town to the ground. We rely on our brave firefighters whose lives are to keep our communities safe – this new Republican policy on detaining firefighters is unethical and dangerous.

“What’s next? Will Trump start detaining immigration service members? Or is he just maintaining the current policy of deporting Purple Heart veterans?”

Nearly 430 people are responding to the Bear Bay fire on the state’s Olympic Peninsula. Firefighters told the Seattle Times that two contract personnel were sent to cut timber and were waiting for supervisors when federal law enforcement arrived in the area.

According to the Seattle Times, authorities have firefighters line up to show IDs. A firefighter told the newspaper that they were not allowed to say goodbye to their detained colleagues.

“I asked them if [co-workers] You can say goodbye to him because they are family and they just ripped them off.

The U.S. Border Patrol and the U.S. Forest Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The incident management team monitors the response to the fire. New York Times Border patrols did not interfere with firefighting.