Next 100 condemns ICE detention tied to Forest Service ranger in Washington forest

Next 100 Coalition is blasting a Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest incident in which a Forest Service ranger alerted ICE, leading to the detainment of five people during a family camping trip. The group says the episode deepens mistrust on public lands and could widen the nature gap for immigrant families and communities of color.

Why it matters: - Next 100 says public lands should be accessible for recreation, connection and community, not used as immigration enforcement zones. - The coalition argues the incident could make immigrant families and communities of color feel less safe on national forests and other public lands. - The group says the episode may widen the nature gap for communities that already face barriers to outdoor access.

What happened: - A Forest Service ranger in Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest notified Immigration and Customs Enforcement after an unverified complaint about garbage. - ICE detained five people during a family camping trip, according to Next 100. - Chela Garcia Irlando, executive director of Next 100 Coalition, said public land encounters should never lead to family separation.

The details: - Next 100 says the detentions included separation of five family members from their spouses and children. - The coalition says public land managers should care for parks and forests, not act as an extension of U.S. immigration enforcement. - Next 100 says overreach by a Forest Service ranger creates distrust in communities that already feel over-policed in national parks, forests and public lands. - The group cites a study by Justice Outside and the Center for American Progress showing communities of color are three times more likely than white communities to live in nature-deprived areas. - The same study found 54% of Latinos in the U.S. live in nature-deprived areas.

Between the lines: - The coalition is framing the incident as more than one enforcement action. - Next 100 is casting it as a broader test of whether public lands are welcoming to people of color and immigrants. - The response reflects a growing debate over how far federal land staff should go when responding to complaints that involve people on public lands.

What's next: - Next 100 is pressing public lands agencies to keep immigration enforcement separate from park and forest management. - The coalition is likely to keep arguing that surveillance and detentions on public lands discourage use by communities already underrepresented outdoors. - Public attention may increase on how Forest Service staff handle future complaints involving visitors and law enforcement.