ICE agents detain nearly 40 employees during morning raid at Whatcom County business
Representatives from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained several dozen people during a raid at Mount Baker Roofing in Bellingham on Wednesday.
Employees told a Herald reporter that about 50 masked agents entered the building around 8 a.m. without warning and began separating workers.
One employee, who spoke to The Herald through a translator, said ICE agents had photos and lists of the people they were looking for and started loading them onto buses.
The ICE agents were wearing masks and arrived in unmarked vehicles.
An ICE spokesperson issued the following statement regarding Wednesday’s detentions.
“On April 2, 2025, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations executed a federal search warrant at Mount Baker Roofing located in Bellingham, Washington based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the unlawful employment of aliens without legal work authorization in violation of federal law.
As a result of the operation, 37 aliens who had fraudulently represented their immigration status and submitted fraudulent documents and/or information to seek employment were administratively arrested.
ICE HSI investigates worksite violations and/or the exploitation of workers. Worksite enforcement investigations focus on reducing illegal employment, holding employers accountable and protecting employment opportunities for the country’s lawful workforce.”
The Herald was unable to confirm that any of the 37 detainees had acted unlawfully, and ICE did not provide any details regarding that assertion.
According to one worker, ICE took more than half of the workforce of Mount Baker Roofing and said they were looking for other workers who were not there at the time.
“When you ask the agents to identify themselves, they won’t,” a worker who asked to remain anonymous told The Herald. “They keep their masks up. All you can see is their badge and that’s it. Not even all of them will even flash their badge.”
ICE agents barred friends, family and other workers from the building, leaving them to gather outside.
Mount Baker Roofing owner Mark Kuske issued the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
“It is with a heavy heart that we navigate this moment. Many of those impacted have worked for us, as tax-paying employees, for years, if not decades. These hardworking individuals were actively supporting our community by helping to build the homes and install the roofs that protect us all from the elements. Many of these individuals are active members of local churches, schools and communities. Looking beyond the personal impact, we cannot ignore the larger implications of today’s events. Policies like the enforcement action carried out today directly harm small businesses like ours, making it increasingly difficult to operate and further inflating the prices paid by consumers.”
Wednesday’s raid comes just over a week after several farm workers were arrested in Ferndale by ICE agents, including political activist and union organizer Alfredo (Lelo) Juarez Zeferino, who was detained briefly at an ICE facility in Ferndale before being transferred to the privately-operated Northwest Detention Center in Tacoma.
Editor’s note (April 3): A previous version of this article included an incorrect spelling of Mount Baker Roofing owner Mark Kuske’s name.
This story was originally published April 2, 2025 at 1:08 PM.
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