Supreme Court rules against owner of Smuggler’s Inn in Blaine

BLAINE, Wash. – The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against a Blaine business owner who filed a complaint against a Border Patrol agent.

In a 6-3 decision, the conservative-majority court said that federal agents aren’t liable for violating an individual’s constitutional rights.

The case stemmed from a 2014 incident, where the owner of Smuggler’s Inn in Blaine was accused of harboring guests who illegally crossed the border from Canada.

Owner Robert Boule claimed that a Border Patrol agent pushed him as they argued about the immigration status of a guest.

Boule reported the agent to his supervisors, after which point he claims the agent “retaliated” against him by reporting his business to the IRS.

In their dissent, liberal justices lamented that this ruling will violate the rights of those who suffered at the hands of federal agents.