Federal Immigration Raid at Washington Roofing Company Leads to 37 Arrests

Federal immigration agents conducted a major raid at a roofing company in northern Washington, leading to the arrest of 37 individuals suspected of working without legal authorization. The operation, carried out early Wednesday morning, sent shockwaves through the local workforce and community.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials arrived at Mt. Baker Roofing’s warehouse in Bellingham, a city near the Canadian border, at approximately 7:30 a.m. Armed officers swiftly took control of the premises, rounding up employees as part of an ongoing investigation into unlawful employment practices.

“They arrived wielding their guns like they were going to shoot us, like we were criminals,” said Tomas Fuerte, a longtime worker at the company, in an interview with Cascadia Daily News. “They corralled us into a room in the back of the building. They had a list and pictures of everyone who was undocumented and took them away.”

According to witnesses, two buses transported the detained individuals from the site. Fuerte, who has worked at Mt. Baker Roofing for 12 years, said he had never seen a raid of this scale before.

ICE spokesperson David Yost confirmed the arrests, stating that the agents executed a federal search warrant based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the employment of unauthorized workers.

“The individuals taken into custody had fraudulently represented their immigration status and submitted fraudulent documents and/or information to seek employment,” Yost explained in a statement.

Mt. Baker Roofing responded in an afternoon statement, asserting that it was “fully cooperating with the authorities while also ensuring that our employees are treated fairly and respectfully under the law.”

The raid comes amid growing scrutiny of U.S. immigration policies. During former President Donald Trump’s first 50 days in office, ICE made 32,809 arrests—an average of 656 per day, more than double the daily average of the previous year. While the Biden administration has pursued a different approach, sporadic workplace raids continue to occur, though not on the same scale as previous administrations.

While workers often face immediate detention and deportation, business owners rarely face criminal charges. Instead, companies found in violation of immigration laws typically face financial penalties and heightened scrutiny.

The latest raid at Mt. Baker Roofing raises fresh concerns about the enforcement of immigration laws and its impact on local businesses and communities. As legal proceedings unfold, both advocates and critics of current policies will be watching closely.