Six Democratic U.S. representatives from Western Washington are demanding answers about the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid in Kent.

The six wrote a letter to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons and IRS Acting Commissioner Michael Faulkender to express deep concern over the May 20 immigration enforcement raid in Kent and to demand immediate answers regarding the nature of the raid and individuals detained.

“The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to portray its immigration enforcement efforts as focused on deporting violent criminals,” according to the letter released May 29 in a press release from U.S. Rep. Adam Smith, D-Bellevue, whose District 9 includes Kent. “Yet federal authorities have not noted any sort of violent criminal connection serving as a motivating factor behind the raid.

“Raids like this which arbitrarily target hardworking community members only serve to tear families apart, stoke fear, and undermine trust in local law enforcement. These actions inevitably have ripple effects throughout our country, causing people to avoid going to work or school out of fear and crippling our local economies.”

The letter was signed by Smith, Suzan DelBene, D-Medina, Pramila Jayapal, D-Seattle, Rick Larsen, D-Everett, Emily Randall, D-Bremerton and Marilyn Strickland, D-Tacoma.

Officials from four federal agencies, including ICE and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division, arrested 17 people at Eagle Beverage and Accessories Products in Kent.

“Notably, this appears to be one of the first immigration raids involving IRS personnel,” according to the letter.

The letter demanded answers to the following questions:

• How many individuals were arrested as part of the May 20 raid in Kent? Please provide details on their gender, age, nationality, immigration status, and reason for their arrest.

• Were there any collateral arrests?

• Had any of the arrested individuals previously received a form of prosecutorial discretion?

• Did any of the arrested individuals have a pending asylum claim?

• Are the arrested individuals now in custody at Northwest ICE Processing Center (in Tacoma)? If not, where are they currently being held?

• Have the arrested individuals been given the opportunity to contact attorneys and family members?

• Have the arrested individuals been scheduled for a court date?

• Did ICE collaborate with state or local law enforcement agencies?

• What role did IRS personnel play in the raid?

• What training did IRS personnel receive to participate in the raid?

• Did the IRS share the taxpayer data of any of the individuals arrested with DHS prior to the arrests?

• How is the IRS’s participation in immigration raids impacting the agency’s ability to carry out its mission of investigating criminal violations of the Internal Revenue Code?

ICE response

After the initial arrests, an ICE spokesperson said in a May 21 email to the Kent Reporter that the raid was based on an ongoing criminal investigation into the unlawful employment of people without legal work authorization in violation of federal law.

“As a result of the operation, 17 (people) who had fraudulently represented their immigration status and submitted fraudulent documents and/or information to seek employment were administratively arrested,” according to an ICE spokesperson.

Nine men and seven women, in handcuffs and ankle restraints, were escorted out of the business and onto an unmarked white bus, according to a video posted on Facebook by local immigration attorney Luis Cortes-Romero. A 17th person arrested could not be seen in the video.

“ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigates worksite violations and/or the exploitation of workers,” according to an ICE spokesperson. “Worksite enforcement investigations focus on reducing illegal employment, holding employers accountable and protecting employment opportunities for the country’s lawful workforce.”

When asked May 29 by the Kent Reporter for an update about the case and if he had details about the people arrested, an ICE spokesperson replied in a May 29 email, “Nothing other than what I’ve already provided.”