Two firefighters were arrested by U.S. Border Patrol during a federal immigration operation at the Bear Gulch wildfire in Olympic National Forest—an unprecedented move that has drawn sharp criticism from fire crews, union leaders, and elected officials in Washington and Oregon.
The men, reportedly of Latino background, were part of a 44-person crew employed by Oregon-based contractors working to contain the state’s largest active wildfire. The Bear Gulch blaze has burned over 9,000 acres near Lake Cushman and was just 13% contained as of late last week.
Federal officials said the arrests stemmed from a broader criminal investigation into contractor hiring practices, citing alleged timekeeping fraud. But fire officials, legal advocates, and veteran firefighters say the operation—conducted at an active fire site—violated longstanding norms and possibly federal policy.
Immigration enforcement at disaster zones is generally prohibited unless there’s an immediate public safety threat. The two men were reportedly cutting wood in a support role, not engaged in direct firefighting. One has lived in the U.S. since age 4 and is awaiting a decision on his U-Visa application, granted to victims of crime who assist law enforcement.
The Bureau of Land Management said it terminated contracts with the two firefighting companies and removed the rest of the crew from federal land. But industry representatives say the contracts were not formally canceled, only paused. Legal advocates allege the arrest violated Homeland Security policies and the detained firefighter’s constitutional rights. His lawyers say they were initially denied access to him and are demanding his release.
The operation, which may have been coordinated with help from the fire’s incident command team, has prompted questions about who authorized the raid. Elected officials, including Sen. Patty Murray and Gov. Bob Ferguson, condemned the arrests as reckless and dangerous.
The Bear Gulch response continues with reduced staffing.
Local News from the Pacific Northwest. Get it in your inbox.
Border czar Tom Homan named Seattle among cities facing stepped-up post-Labor Day enforcement.
The 1 Line extension adds three stations beyond Angle Lake and will open months ahead of schedule, Sound Transit announced this week.
Judges say race was not the main factor in drawing new Yakima Valley district lines.
Lands Commissioner’s plan sets aside Washington Department of Natural Resources land amid criticism from timber groups and activists.
Demonstrators occupied President Brad Smith’s office over claims Azure is used by the Israeli military in Gaza.
Police recovered stolen items linked to a wider burglary ring targeting athletes, celebrities.
Lionel Messi held scoreless as Seattle claims its fifth major MLS trophy.
Sound Transit is launching an agency-wide reset after revealing a $30–40 billion funding gap, forcing a reevaluation of major ST3 expansion projects—including the planned Ballard-to-SoDo light rail connection via a new downtown Seattle tunnel.
At last week’s board meeting, leaders formally adopted a set of principles to guide the “Enterprise Initiative,” a full-scale overhaul of Sound Transit’s long-range plans, finances, and delivery strategies. The move marks the most significant realignment effort since the early 2000s.
The downtown tunnel, one of ST3’s most expensive elements, is now under scrutiny. King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci said newer technology could increase capacity without new tunneling. Skipping the tunnel could accelerate West Seattle and Ballard timelines but would reduce redundancy and flexibility.
Broader impacts could hit other major segments, including the Everett, Tacoma Dome, and South Kirkland–Issaquah lines. A $5 billion increase in operating costs—covering new trains, maintenance, and service resiliency—may force the agency to phase projects more slowly or scale back elements like station count or segment length. A long-planned crossover track downtown, meant to reduce disruptions during service outages, is also at risk.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell urged regional leaders to avoid a zero-sum approach, saying Seattle projects shouldn’t be deprioritized. Still, he acknowledged cost pressures demand “creative thinking.”
A federal appeals court ruled Friday that many of President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs on foreign goods were unlawful, undercutting one of the central tools of his trade policy. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a May decision finding that Trump overstepped his authority by using the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to levy duties on nearly all imports.
The 7-4 ruling is a major legal rebuke but does not immediately lift the tariffs. Judges delayed enforcement until mid-October to allow the administration time to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Trump has already indicated he plans to do so.
The court concluded that IEEPA, a 1970s-era law intended for sanctions and embargoes, does not grant the president unlimited power to impose tariffs. Trump had used the law to justify broad duties on countries including China, Mexico, and Canada, citing national economic threats ranging from trade deficits to the fentanyl crisis.
Critics—including small businesses, trade groups, and Democratic-led states—argued the tariffs were economically damaging and constitutionally improper. “Every court that has reviewed these tariffs has agreed they are unconstitutional,” said Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield, calling the ruling “a huge win for Americans.”
Even if the Supreme Court affirms the decision, Trump could still impose some tariffs using other legal authorities, such as Section 232 (national security) or Section 301 (unfair trade practices). But the ruling could force a broader debate in Congress over presidential trade powers.
“This decision should be a wake-up call for Congress to reclaim its constitutional mandate to regulate duties,” said Jake Colvin of the National Foreign Trade Council.
Trump, meanwhile, warned of economic ruin if the tariffs are struck down, claiming they are key to U.S. strength. “If these Tariffs ever went away,” he wrote online, “it would be a total disaster for the Country.”
Cal Raleigh's home run total
The Mariners catcher became the first player in MLB history to hit 50 home runs while playing primarily behind the plate.
Seattle’s national rank as a top city for Gen Z college graduates
In a RentCafe analysis of opportunity, affordability, and livability, Seattle was the only West Coast metro to crack the top 20 — buoyed by a high share of highly educated Gen Z adults and strong career prospects in tech, science, and sustainability.
Record labor settlement between Seattle and Uber Eats over pay violations
More than 16,000 app-based workers will receive back pay and damages after the city alleged Uber Eats failed to disclose accurate pay rates and violated transparency laws.
Drivers faced major backups Sunday afternoon when the Ballard Bridge stuck in the raised position for about an hour due to mechanical issues. SDOT said a part that helps align the bridge was rubbing against its guide, preventing it from seating properly after being raised for vessel traffic. Crews made adjustments and reopened the span, while vehicles were temporarily rerouted down Leary Way NW during the closure.
The beloved Levantine restaurant Mamnoon will close Sept. 14 after 13 years in the neighborhood. Owners Racha and Wassef Haroun cited declining sales but said their Belltown offshoot, Mamnoon Street, will remain open. The couple opened the restaurant to share Syrian and Lebanese cuisine during the Syrian war and described its name—meaning “thankful”—as a reflection of their gratitude to the community. Their packaged foods and grocery offerings will continue across the region.
A broken sewer pipe spilled sewage into Lake Washington near Mount Baker Beach on Aug. 20, prompting a weeklong closure of the swim beach and half a mile of shoreline. Seattle Public Utilities stopped the overflow the same day and repaired the pipe by evening, but health officials warned of elevated bacteria levels.
Fairmount Avenue has reopened beneath the Admiral Way Bridge after a 13-month closure for seismic retrofit work. Crews repaired cracks, added carbon-fiber wrapping, replaced key bridge components, and stabilized surrounding slopes to strengthen the twin bridges against earthquakes. The $930 million Levy to Move Seattle funded the project, part of a citywide effort to reinforce 16 vulnerable bridges. With the major work complete, drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians once again have full access through the corridor.
The three principal wildland fire values are duty, respect, integrity. Utmost in that is taking care of your people. If you can’t trust the people you’re working with when things get hairy, that’s a concern.
