After He Battled Wildfires as a Prisoner, California Handed Him Over to ICE

‘If I do get deported, it’s like getting sentenced again, for life’

Kao Saelee in his firefighting gear. Photo: Advancing Justice — Asian Law Caucus

As wildfires smothered California every fall in recent years, Kao Saelee—a Southeast Asian refugee—served as one of the many prisoners battling the flames on the front lines. The state program he was a part of has come under…