Two firefighters were detained by U.S. immigration authorities while responding to a wildfire on Washington’s Olympic Peninsula, raising questions about federal enforcement in emergency situations.

The arrests occurred on August 27 during efforts to contain the 9,000-acre Bear Gulch wildfire. Authorities detained two members of a 44-person crew from Oregon-based contractors, Table Rock Forestry Inc. and ASI Arden Solutions Inc., after verifying the identities of all crew members. The remaining 42 firefighters were allowed to continue working.

Officials said the two detained individuals were in the U.S. without legal status. One of them, an Oregon resident who has been in the country since childhood and is awaiting a U-visa, is represented by attorneys who argue the arrest violated Depart

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