Firefighter arrested by US border agents was on track for legal status, lawyers say

Lawyers say arrest of man fighting Bear Gulch fire in Oregon was illegal and demand immediate release from detention

Lawyers are demanding the release of a longtime Oregon resident arrested by Border Patrol while fighting a Washington state wildfire, saying Friday that the firefighter was already on track for legal status after helping federal investigators solve a crime against his family.

His arrest was illegal, the lawyers said, and violated Department of Homeland Security polices that say immigration enforcement must not be conducted at locations where emergency responses are happening.