‘I am glad that I am home’: Oregon firefighter released after weeks in ICE detention

TACOMA, Wash. (KPTV/Gray News) - An Oregon firefighter who was arrested last month by federal agents while battling a wildfire has been released from immigration detention.

Rigoberto Hernandez, 23, returned home Tuesday after being held at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma for nearly three weeks.

He was arrested on Aug. 27 while working to contain the Bear Gulch fire in northern Washington.

“I am glad that I am home, and I am excited to see my family,” Hernandez said in a statement released by the Innovation Law Lab. “I want to give my thanks to everyone—for their prayers, for the rallies, for sharing about what happened to me and the other firefighter. So many people stepped up to help, and now I want to help others just like they helped me.”

Attorneys with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project (NWIRP) and Portland-based Innovation Law Lab said his release only came after they filed a federal lawsuit on his behalf. A petition for habeas corpus, demanding his release, remains pending in court.

“While we are thrilled that Mr. Hernandez is back with his family, it is important to remember he never should have been arrested in the first place, let alone left locked up for weeks and only released after he filed a lawsuit in federal court,” said Matt Adams, legal director for NWIRP.

Advocates accused ICE and Border Patrol of violating long-standing federal policy that bars immigration enforcement at disaster sites. Hernandez and another firefighter were detained after agents carried out an immigration inspection at a remote fire camp restricted to emergency personnel, NWIRP said.

“Federal agents are not above the law,” said Rodrigo Fernandez-Ortega, staff attorney at Innovation Law Lab. “ICE and Border Patrol are showing complete disregard for constitutionally protected rights and the rule of law.”

Hernandez, who has worked three seasons as a firefighter, is a certified sawyer and often serves as a “wildland faller,” responsible for felling dangerous trees and clearing vegetation to stop the spread of flames.

In a court declaration, he described firefighting as a calling: “I consider it my duty. It has given me clarity in how I think and how I want to act and be in the world. I want to be able to continue to protect the land, the wildlife, and the people of this country.”

Raised on the West Coast since the age of 4, Hernandez grew up in Oregon, Washington and California, where his parents worked as farm laborers. He applied for a path to legal status in 2018 but the application remains backlogged in the federal system.

Lawyers at NWIRP said his arrest highlights growing concerns over immigration enforcement at worksites and disaster zones.