Arson Attack on ICE Office in Yakima, Washington Sparks Investigation
Yakima, Washington, August 5, 2025 – An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sub-office in Yakima, Washington, was targeted in a suspected arson attack over the weekend, with a rioter throwing a rock through a window and setting a fire at the rear of the federal building. The incident, reported by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and local authorities, is under investigation as arson, with no injuries reported and no suspects named as of Tuesday.
The attack occurred on Saturday, August 2, at a federal building housing an ICE field office, also occupied by the Washington Department of Social and Health Services. According to DHS, the assailant shattered a window with a rock and ignited a small fire, causing smoke damage, scorched grass, and fencing. Photos from the scene, shared by Fox News, show a partially broken window and charred areas outside the building. Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin confirmed the incident to The New York Post, noting that federal agents escaped unharmed.
Local authorities in Yakima, in coordination with the DHS, are treating the case as arson. The investigation is ongoing, with no clear motive established, though tensions surrounding ICE’s immigration enforcement have been cited as a potential factor. The DHS statement condemned the act, linking it to a broader 830% increase in assaults on ICE personnel, which it attributes to “violent rhetoric” from some elected officials and activists. “From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale,” DHS stated, emphasizing that attackers will face prosecution.
The incident follows heightened unrest over ICE’s operations, particularly after President Donald Trump’s executive orders in 2025 intensified deportation efforts, including a June 9 memo directing ICE to arrest at least 3,000 immigrants daily and expand GPS ankle monitor use. Posts on X reflect polarized sentiment, with @ICEgov stating, “No one is above the law. If you attack a federal agent or officer, you will be found and face consequences,” while others criticize ICE’s tactics, citing protests in sanctuary cities like Portland.
This attack echoes prior incidents targeting ICE facilities. In 2023, two suspects accidentally set themselves on fire while attempting to torch an immigration services business in Bakersfield, California. In 2019, an ICE detention center in Tacoma, Washington, was firebombed by an assailant who was killed by police. The Yakima incident also coincides with broader concerns about politically motivated arson, such as ballot box fires in Washington and Oregon in October 2024, some marked with “Free Gaza” slogans, though no such markings have been reported here.
The Yakima ICE office attack underscores escalating tensions over immigration enforcement, with federal and local authorities vowing to pursue the perpetrator. As the investigation continues, the incident highlights the challenges of balancing security and public safety amid polarized political rhetoric.
Sources: Fox News, The New York Post, Seattle Red, Department of Homeland Security, posts on X