ICE raid leads to 17 workers arrested in Kent
May 21, 2025, 6:32 AM | Updated: 1:07 pm
An ICE agent monitors the Jacob K. Javits Federal Building. (Photo: David Dee Delgado, Getty Images)
(Photo: David Dee Delgado, Getty Images)
A surprise immigration raid at a Kent factory ended with 17 workers arrested, according to The Seattle Times.
Agents with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) made those arrests at Eagle Beverages, a specialty beverage manufacturer in Kent known for making products including syrups, teas, cider, and straws.
According to ICE, the workers detained “had fraudulently represented their immigration status and submitted fraudulent documents and/or information to seek employment.”
The raid is the second of its kind in Washington in recent weeks, following the arrests of 37 people working for a Bellingham roofing company in April.
Videos circulating throughout social media, originally posted by local immigration attorney Luis Cortes-Romero, show the arrested workers in handcuffs and ankle chains as agents moved them onto a bus. A group of nine men was escorted out of the building, followed by a group of seven women. The video can be found on Se Habla Media’s website.
“It hurts a lot. It’s very painful,” the partner of one of the women arrested told KIRO Newsradio through translation. “A lot of people—I know they’re leaving behind small children. I saw one of the workers, who I know is a single mother with two little babies, and one of them was just born a month or two ago. What they’re doing isn’t fair.”
Community groups are helping those affected, with legal aid and hotlines now available.
“We don’t know what to do, where to go, or who to call,” the partner continued. “People need guidance on what’s happening, because many more will be detained. I know a lot of men haven’t returned home, possibly out of fear.”
The Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network (WISEN) confirmed it was an immigration raid. KIRO Newsradio has reached out to ICE for comment regarding how many people were detained and where they were taken.
This story has been updated to reflect 17 workers have been arrested, previously reported 16.
