BLAINE, Wash. — A local newspaper reports it’s received evidence interrogations and delays of Iranian Americans at the border crossing in Blaine earlier this month were done on specific orders.
The Northern Light published a bulletin apparently issued by the Customs and Border Protection office in Seattle that orders vetting of all individuals who meet certain criteria, including Iranian or Lebanese nationals or those who had recently traveled to those countries.
The bulletin partly titled “Iranian Supreme Leader Vows Forceful Revenge” came just after the U.S. killing of Iranian General Qassim Suleimani.
The Northern Light says it got the document from immigration lawyer Len Saunders who wouldn’t reveal his source.
As many as 60 Iranian Americans and legal residents say they were held at the Peace Arch Border Crossing and questioned for hours over the weekend of January 4th.
On January 5th CBP tweeted that accusations people were detained because of their country of origin or that a directive had been issued were false.