The arrests of two wildland firefighters accused of working illegally in Washington state has sparked a new round of debate over the Trump administration's priorities about wildfires and immigration enforcement.

In videos shared widely on social media, federal immigration agents were recorded detaining two firefighters who were working on federal land in a remote area of the Olympic Peninsula. U.S. Border Patrol officials confirmed to USA TODAY that the men were arrested on immigration violations, while 42 other workers were released after being removed from the property.

Videos of the Aug. 27 incident posted to social media have drawn broad condemnation by Washington state residents upset that federal officials halted firefighters' work to check immigration paperwork. One of the videos showed the yellow-shirted men being handcuffed amid stacks of downed trees in the middle of a forest.

"Deeply concerned about this situation with two individuals helping to fight fires in Washington state. I've directed my team to get more information about what happened," Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, a Democrat, said in a social media post.

The crews were not directly fighting the 9,000-acre Bear Gulch Fire, but were assisting in wildfire-prevention efforts in the area, and federal officials said the arrests did not affect ongoing firefighting. But some state officials say the immigration detentions raise questions about White House priorities at a time when many fire departments have struggled to adequately hire wildland firefighters.

Washington Sen. Patty Murray, a Democrat, said the arrests reflect misplaced priorities: "This administration's immigration policy is fundamentally sick. Trump has wrongly detained lawful green card holders and even CITIZENS. No one should assume this was necessary. These firefighters put their lives on the line for us ALL and Trump is detaining them."

President Donald Trump has promised the largest mass deportation in history, and federal statistics show many of the people being detained for deportation have no criminal record aside from immigration violations. As of Aug. 10, about 30% of immigration detainees have a criminal conviction, which can include traffic offenses, according to the most current Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse analysis of federal data.

Federal officials confirmed to USA TODAY that they targeted the workers as part of a criminal investigation into two companies that provide wildland firefighters: Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI/Arden Solutions Inc.

The companies were apparently working on contract with the federal Bureau of Land Management. The Trump administration has downsized the federal workforce, including thousands of people who hold the "red cards" necessary to fight wildland fires, and private firefighting contractors have long assisted communities by removing brush and other fire hazards.

"BLM, working alongside U.S. Forest Service, requested assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol as work contracts with two firms were terminated," U.S. Border Patrol officials said in a statement. "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."

Federal officials did not immediately answer questions about why the two companies were targeted; there is no record of pending criminal cases, according to federal court records. The identities of the two men were not released by federal officials, who said one of the men has previously been ordered to leave the United States. Neither Table Rock Foresty nor Arden Solutions returned phone messages left Aug. 28.

"This cooperative effort highlights the coordination between federal agencies in ensuring the integrity of government operations and maintaining public trust in fiduciary matters," USBP Blaine Sector Chief Patrol Agent Rosario P. Vasquez said in a statement. "U.S. Border Patrol steadfastly enforces the laws of the United States and unapologetically addresses violations of immigration law wherever they are encountered."

Wildfire forecasters predict above-normal fire conditions for much of the West in the coming weeks. Through July, the latest date available, wildfire starts were at 120% of average, and states like Colorado are having some of their worst wildfires in history, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Immigration arrests of firefighters renews debate about White House priorities

Reporting by Trevor Hughes, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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