FERNDALE, Washington — U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) wrote to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and ICE Acting Director David Venturella on Tuesday, October 27, demanding answers about immigration-enforcement work at the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) office in Ferndale, following his October 9 visit to the HSI Blaine field office there.
Source: U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (official release)
“I support HSI’s mission to investigate and apprehend individuals involved in cross-border criminal activity, including human and drug trafficking,” Larsen said. “However, I am concerned by reports that HSI personnel, including those in Northwest Washington, have been reassigned to conduct civil immigration enforcement. HSI agents should be focused on investigating serious criminal activity, not diverted to support the President’s mass deportation agenda.” In his letter, Larsen cited an August 20, 2026 report by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Inspector General finding that HSI agents devoted 800 percent more hours to immigration enforcement in Fiscal Year 2025 than in FY2024, while hours spent investigating fentanyl-related crimes fell by 31 percent and fentanyl seizures by HSI agents declined by 39 percent.
Source: U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (official release)
Larsen’s letter asks six questions, with answers due by Friday, November 20, 2026: how many HSI agents assigned to the Blaine field office have been reassigned or detailed to support Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) since January 20, 2025; how many Blaine agent hours have gone to civil immigration enforcement and to fentanyl investigations in each year from FY2023 through FY2026; how many fentanyl seizures Blaine agents have carried out in that period; whether HSI officers received directives to expand or limit work with ERO; and whether the HSI Blaine facility has been used to detain people arrested by ERO, and on what dates.
Source: U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (official release)
Independent local reporting on the same October 9 tour described a facility of about 50 staff where no detainees were present during the visit. La Conner Community News reported that HSI staff at Ferndale were assigned to ERO’s civil immigration enforcement in 2025 because ERO was understaffed, and that the collaboration ended at the beginning of 2026. The HSI building has three small holding cells holding no more than two people at a time; detainees can stay a maximum of 12 hours, with access to food, medical treatment and a phone room, and staff told Larsen no one has been held for more than four hours this year. Detainees are moved out by 10 a.m. and transferred to Seattle, the report said.
Source: La Conner Community News
“This is not case-closed on oversight of ICE activity in our region,” Larsen said. “I will keep pushing to get answers and accountability for my community. My office stands ready to help family members locate their loved ones in ICE custody and access legal services – call 425-252-3188.” Larsen has also visited ICE’s ERO facility in Ferndale in July 2026 and the privately-run ICE detention facility in Tacoma in June 2025 as part of the same oversight work.