Fire crews interrupted by immigration checks prompt questions about incident coordination

Members of the House subcommittee raised alarms after firefighters fighting the Bear Gulch Fire in Washington reported that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stopped and questioned 44 contract crew members, detained two, and removed others from firefighting duties during active operations.

Rep. Marilyn Strickland and Rep. Jared Huffman pressed Chief Tom Schultz for details about who authorized the operation and whether the Forest Service coordinated with Homeland Security. Schultz said the Forest Service did not authorize arrests, that the agency had been notified the night before about credential checks, and that the incident involved contract crews; he said the Forest Service does not validate contract crew members and described CBP as the lead for border-security enforcement.

"The forest service, we support greater federal response to the border ... but the forest service was not directly involved in that," Schultz said. Members pressed whether Forest Service incident command had approved the operation and whether such enforcement belongs inside an active firefight. Schultz said he lacked full details and that more discussion with DHS partners was necessary.

Rep. Strickland asked the agency to follow up on her letter and a High Country News article that raised questions about whether incident leadership played a role in turning crewmembers over to immigration authorities. The chairman granted unanimous consent to enter the letter and the article into the hearing record.

What comes next: The Forest Service said it had received members’ letters and would respond. Several lawmakers urged clearer protocols to avoid disrupting firefighting operations and to protect crew safety while respecting federal immigration enforcement mandates.