Federal immigration agents in Seattle arrested a Kenyan national who was working for Washington State’s child welfare agency, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which says the man had overstayed a tourist visa for more than seven years.
ICE told Fox News that its Seattle office arrested Stanley Robert Kungu Muthee during a traffic stop on Monday, Oct. 26, according to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, who reported the arrest in a post on X. Melugin reported that ICE said Muthee first flew into the United States on Feb. 6, 2019, on a B-2 tourist visa and never left.
AMERICAN TAXPAYER DOLLARS SHOULD NEVER PAY THE SALARIES OF ILLEGAL ALIENS!
ICE arrested a Kenyan illegal alien who overstayed his visa and was employed by Washington State’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
Illegal aliens have NO BUSINESS working in government… https://t.co/NEoWfWc0xY
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) October 28, 2026
According to Melugin’s report, ICE said Muthee was wearing a Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) jacket when he was stopped, was carrying a DCYF identification card, and admitted to agents that he worked for the department.
ICE: “No business” in child welfare agencies
ICE responded to the case in a pointed post on X on Wednesday. “American taxpayer dollars should never pay the salaries of illegal aliens,” the agency wrote, adding that people in the country illegally “have no business working in government agencies responsible for the safety and well-being of American children.”
The agency’s post had drawn more than 3,000 likes by Thursday morning, and Melugin’s original report had been viewed more than 300,000 times, according to X’s public metrics.
State agency says his paperwork checked out
Washington’s DCYF confirmed the employment. “This individual has been employed with the Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families since Aug. 16, 2024,” Nancy Gutierrez, the department’s director of communications, said in a statement shared with Fox News’ Bill Melugin and reported by Pulse Kenya.
Gutierrez said Muthee “provided the appropriate documentation when he was hired, which indicated he was authorized to work,” including “a valid United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) number with no expiration date.” She added, “We have not been notified of a change in his status,” according to Pulse Kenya.
Pulse Kenya noted that permission to work in the United States does not, by itself, establish that a person has a legal basis to remain in the country. ICE’s public statements cite the visa overstay as the reason for the arrest.
Why it matters
The case lands in a state that limits cooperation between local authorities and federal immigration enforcement, and it raises a question that taxpayers in every state can ask: how a person who, according to ICE, had no lawful status was cleared to work inside a state agency that handles cases involving vulnerable children.
DCYF has not said publicly whether it will review how it verifies the immigration status of employees, and no further statement from the department had been reported as of Thursday. Kenyan outlets including Citizen Digital and Pulse Kenya have also covered the arrest.
ICE has not said where Muthee is being held or when an immigration judge will hear his case.
Sources
Sources cited
- https://x.com/ICEgov/status/2115560241425506787
- https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2115551784840089744
- https://citizen.digital/article/kenyan-arrested-by-us-immigration-authorities-for-overstaying-visa-n392943
- https://www.pulse.co.ke/story/kenyan-stanley-muthee-arrested-by-ice-over-visa-overstay-2026102907015942336
Sources
- Original post: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) on X, Oct 28, 2026
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