On Wednesday, federal immigration agents arrested 37 people during a raid at Mt. Baker Roofing, a roofing company in northern Washington. Officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations, and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrived at the company’s warehouse in Bellingham, a city close to the Canadian border, around 7:30 a.m.

"They (law enforcement) arrived wielding their guns like they were going to shoot us, like we were criminals," Tomas Fuerte told Cascadia Daily News, speaking in Spanish. "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 Fuerte, the detained individuals were taken away in two buses. He mentioned that in his 12 years at the company, he had never witnessed such a raid.

ICE spokesperson David Yost stated that officers carried out a federal search warrant as part of an ongoing criminal investigation. The investigation focuses on the illegal hiring of individuals who do not have legal authorisation to work, which violates federal law. "The 37 people who were arrested had fraudulently represented their immigration status and submitted fraudulent documents and/or information to seek employment," Yost said. Mt. Baker Roofing stated in the afternoon that it is fully cooperating with authorities while also ensuring its employees are treated fairly and respectfully according to the law.

Although these numbers are higher than those during the Biden administration, they do not match the large-scale deportations Trump had promised in his campaign. So far, the president has not conducted the widespread factory and office raids seen during his first term and George W. Bush’s presidency, but there have been a few smaller operations. Business owners rarely face criminal charges but often have to pay fines.