Three San Juan Island women detained by DHS
Published 1:30 am Thursday, July 9, 2026
Three Hispanic women who live on San Juan Island were detained by the Department of Homeland Security on the afternoon of Tuesday, July 7, near Roche Harbor. They were returning from a cleaning job when their vessel was stopped by the U.S. Coast Guard, which then called in DHS with immigration concerns. Two of the women have already been deported to Mexico and one remains in the Tacoma Immigration Detention Center as her immigration case unfolds.
Elly Hoague, a retired attorney who works with the Local Immigrant Family Treasury (LIFT) organization on Orcas, helped fund legal assistance for the women.
“It’s important people know this was an individual incident and they’re being taken care of,” Hoague said to the Journal. “But remember that the Coast Guard can always stop vessels without cause.”
It is true that USCG can board boats for any reason at any time and will check documentation of anyone aboard. Undocumented people who go on private boats are at risk of being detained.
Detainings can cause fear and alarm among community members, especially during this time of increased ICE activity across the country. Hoague urges people to get information from primary or trusted sources instead of rumors or social media.
“Information about these situations spread like wildfire, true or not. Facebook and other social media are a bit like the game of telephone — it’s not reliable,” she said. “It would help to have more information coming from the Sheriff. I shouldn’t be speaking for the families but I think in general, my friends and neighbors are desperate for information about what’s going on. The more information, the better.”
LIFT can help community members understand and improve their immigration status. Donations to LIFT go directly toward attorney fees for those detained.
Another place to donate is the People’s Coalition venmo account, PeoplesCoalition-SJI or email pcsji@proton.me. These funds will be used to support the local families who are suddenly without a mother and provider as well as the women starting over in Mexico and the detainee who needs commissary funds and legal aid within the detention center.
