From Sheriff Peter June 17
Fellow community members,
It is very unfortunate that I am here again to have to dispel more false rumors that are being spread about I.C.E. now coming onto the WSF tomorrow and recklessly sending people into a panic without any verification of the information and without consideration for how this mentally and emotionally affects people in our community.
Today I was made aware of a post on What’s up, Orcas Island, by someone named Elizabeth Holmes Lamson who appears to live in Seattle, WA, stating the following without any evidence supporting her claim:
“Ferries did just report the ICE and DHS will be on ferries tomorrow, just passing on what I read”
Seriously? You’re going to state this with zero corroborating evidence as to the validity of where you read this and if it has been verified by a credible source. I am aware that is your right; however, this is egregiously ignorant and irresponsible.
I immediately researched the WA State Ferries Facebook page and website and found no evidence or posting related to this baseless claim. I then called and spoke with a trusted Security Officer for the North Region with WA State Ferries who confirmed that they are aware of this rumor, have checked with their employees, and they do not know where this rumor came from or who started it. (see photos below from the WSF Facebook page and website)
I then received a name of a reporter, Cezar Canizales, with “Se-Habla Media” who shared the following information with me. He received information regarding a memo from WSF to their employees to pay attention for ICE employees who come onto the ferries and what to do and what not to do, per state laws and WSF policies, if ICE talks to them.
He also sent me a link to the post on Reddit, posted by r/Kitsap, Kale_Boriak, stating the following:
ICS/DHS on Ferries
“Am email went out today to all ferry workers that starting tomorrow ICE/DHS will be on ferries doing their gestapo impression. Ferry workers do not have to cooperate, but they won’t interfere either. Please help the word out before people get abducted while going to work. So much for only rounding up criminals, right? It is 100% okay to harass the GesTaco.
Edit: Some folks are saying the email is about “what if” and not “they will be.” So, adding this edit, but still urging caution, community, and solidarity.”
Again, an irresponsible statement put out without verifying the facts and recklessly causing panic for people in our community and people using the ferries for transport.
And then this “genius” of a person (Seattlernr), without verifying the information, decides to make a TikTok post, regurgitating the above ridiculous rumor and possibly placing more people in fear. (see photo of clip below)
Later on Reddit, someone named “Sure-Teacher-762 reposted the original Reddit post titled:
“Clarification: WSF did not send out an email saying ICE would start riding the ferries. An additional statement: “I work for WSF. This post from yesterday is inaccurate and OP u/kale_boriak is refusing to edit it after being told they were wrong by several other community members and admitting that they never actually heard about ICE riding the boats today.” (see photo below)
While I was on the phone with Cezar Canizales, he said that it appears someone got a hold of the original WSF memo and then (falsely) claimed that ICE was going to start doing raids on ferries tomorrow 6/18/25. Cezar also informed me that he was working on a story regarding these false rumors and that it would be going out tonight on their online media channel “Se-Habla Media”.
I thanked him for working together with me to clarify these false rumors by people who clearly don’t verify things they “hear” and appear on the surface to be ok with recklessly spreading untrue rumors without any concern for the emotional stress and fear it instills in the people affected by this false information.
Regardless of which side of this federal government debate you are on, SHAME ON YOU, to the people who think it’s ok spread false rumors and terrify large groups of people in our communities. Stressors like this can have long-term effects on people, especially young children who are also placed in fear by this recklessness.
Eric Peter- Sheriff
San Juan County Sheriff’s Office
