Strategic Deception in the WoodsWhat should have been a peaceful Labor Day weekend camping trip for five Western Washington families in the Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest turned into an absolute nightmare when park staff colluded with ICE to rip these families apart. The forest has been exposed as a hunting ground for federal immigration agents, and the park rangers themselves acted as the bait.The families were enjoying their annual trip, surrounded by the trees of the forest, when two Mount Baker Snoqualmie park rangers approached them under the guise of a mundane trash issue.“The warning was a calculated trap. The rangers demanded identification from all the adults, photographing the IDs under the threat of mailing a citation to their homes.”Hours later, the true intent behind the shakedown was revealed.The Midnight AmbushJust before midnight on Friday, federal agents arrived, forcefully shaking the families’ tents and initially claiming to be local police before admitting they were immigration enforcement. The most despicable part of the raid? The park rangers returned alongside these ICE agents to execute the arrests.“Five men, fathers and husbands who are the primary breadwinners for their households, were taken away in the dead of night.”Now, women and children are left traumatized and scrambling to raise funds for legal representation, terrified that their loved ones will be transferred out of state from the Tacoma facility where they are currently held.Demand AccountabilityThe Forest Service has remained silent, hiding behind the excuse of the Labor Day holiday weekend. This was not routine land management. This was a coordinated, deceitful ambush facilitated by park staff weaponizing their authority against campers in a gross violation of public trust.Hold them accountable, The Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest must answer for rangers acting as spotters for ICE raids.Mount Baker Snoqualmie National Forest Supervisor’s Office 1000 SE Everett Mall Way, Suite 410, Everett, WA 98208 Phone: (360) 856 5700Mt. Baker Ranger Station 810 State Route 20, Sedro Woolley, WA 98284 Phone: (360) 854 2553Snoqualmie Ranger District North Bend Office 902 S.E. North Bend Way, Bldg 1, North Bend, WA 98045 Phone: (425) 888 1421Enumclaw Office 450 Roosevelt Ave. E., Enumclaw, WA 98022 Phone: (360) 825 6585Share