(AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
ICE has released an Oregon firefighter who was detained for nearly a month after he was taken into custody while battling an actual fire.
Rigoberto Hernandez, 23, was released this week after he was detained on Aug. 27 while battling a blaze in Oregon. He was released after a federal lawsuit and immigration attorneys got involved, according to ABC News.
Hernandez has been in the United States since he was 4 years old, his attorneys said, having lived in Oregon, Washington, and California. They said he also applied for a visa application in 2018, but the process has been snagged by numerous delays. Hernandez spent roughly four weeks at the Northwest ICE Processing Center in Tacoma, Washington.
“They’re acknowledging that there’s no justification for this arrest or this type of enforcement action targeting people who are on the front lines working to keep our community safe,” Matt Adams, legal director with the Northwest Immigration Rights Project, told MLT News about the case.
Hernandez’s arrest at an actual disaster site has thrust ICE enforcement under the spotlight for critics. The young man was working to contain the Bear Gulch Fire when he was taken into custody.
“I am glad that I am home, and I am excited to see my family,” he said in a statement after his release. “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.”
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