On September 24, 2025 Roberto Hernandez was released after four weeks of being in detention at the Northwest ICE processing center in Tacoma WA. Hernandez was a firefighter who got arrested by immigration agents while fighting a wildfire in Washington. The group said that the arrest of Hernandez was illegal and violated due process.
Because of this, and many similar instances, many people in the Cashmere Community are scared of what would happen if ICE agents mistook them for immigrants just because of their race/color.
CHS Junior #1 stated, “Immigrants work really hard, and will always be on their
[toes] scared one day something bad will happen, like if anybody in their family will get taken away.” The possibility of losing someone to ICE feels like a high risk currently in our community.
CHS Junior #2 says about immigration, “The process of legal immigration does take a long time and especially if you’re coming from a place like Mexico, which is where a lot of immigrants come from.”
They also said that they wished people understood why immigrants come to the USA. CHS Junior #2 continues,“I wish a lot of people in Cashmere, and just in the United States overall, would recognize that a lot of illegal immigrants aren’t people who are trying to peddle drugs into the country. They aren’t criminals. A lot of people come to the country for that purpose, but a lot of the time illegal immigrants are just people trying to make a better life for themselves, but they don’t have the means to do so.”
They also went on to say that, “A lot of the time families who immigrate here obviously immigrate for the sake of getting a better future for their family members, their children, and their loved ones. When people immigrate from countries, especially from Mexico, it’s usually due to the bad conditions, and here in the United States there’s a lot of more opportunities for people to build a future for themselves and get an education, get better health care.”
On July 11th, The Wenatchee World newspaper published an article titled “Family Says ICE Agents Broke Window in Immigration Arrest” and on Jan 31st, 2025 “ICE Threats Trigger Fear in Washington Schools” These kinds of incidents are causing members of the Cashmere community to be afraid.
CHS Junior #3 says about immigrant safety, “I feel like it’s gotten worse throughout the years, and it’s unfair what they’re doing to immigrants.”
A CHS teacher said, “I don’t know much about Cashmere, but just in general I wish people understood that immigrants do bring a lot of knowledge. They do bring a lot of skills wherever they decide to go… there may be preconceived notions about what an immigrant is, but I think sometimes they may be off base.”
CHS Junior #4 stated, “I feel like this whole situation is very unfortunate as the immigration population shapes a great part of our country. The tragedy happening is terrible since many communities and families have been shaped already with the inclusion of immigrants and deportation is separating them.”
CHS Junior #4 also said, “I wished people understood the fear installed within immigrants while doing simple acts such as buying groceries, going to work and school. Whether you support it or not, it is important to know that mass deportations will continue to create disruption to regular systems, such as agricultural production.”
Mass deportations have happened all around Washington. Immigrants should be aware of their rights:
- You have the right to be silent- Tienes el derecho de mantener silencio
- You can ask if you can leave- Puedes preguntar si puedes irts
- You can ask to see their court order or warrant signed by a judge- Puedes solicitar ver su orden judicial
- You can ask for their information- Puedes solicitar su informacion
- You do not have to sign anything- No tienes que firmar nada
- ALWAYS BE PREPARED- SIEMPRE DEBES ESTAR PREPARADO
Jonathan • Oct 7, 2025 at 2:09 pm
“Land of the free”