Washington Lawmakers Seek Answers On Reported Border Detentions

SEATTLE, WA — Washington lawmakers and immigrants rights groups are calling for answers after more than 60 people of Iranian descent said they were held at the Peace Arch border crossing over the weekend. The Council on American-Islamic Relation's Washington chapter released a statement Sunday saying dozens of Iranian-American citizens and permanent residents were questioned after returning from a concert in Vancouver, Canada Saturday.

According to CAIR Washington, those held at the border had their passports taken and were questioned at length about political views and allegiances. On Sunday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied claims that people were detained and said no directive was issued.

The Associated Press reports a CBP spokesman cited increased border traffic Saturday evening and reduced staffing as the cause for any delays. Jorge Baron, director of the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, said he spoke to one permanent resident who said they were held overnight with dozens of other people.

After reports of the detentions spread Sunday, Gov. Jay Inslee and Rep. Pramila Jayapal demanded more information from the federal government.

Monday morning, Rep. Jayapal held a press conference alongside representatives from the NWIRP and CAIR Washington, and an Iranian woman who said she was questioned at the border, even though she is a U.S. citizen.

"As soon as they realized we were born in Iran, they led us to the office, and they held us there for five hours," Negah Hekmati said.

Hekmati said border agents asked those detained for information about social media accounts and names of other family members living in the United States.

Rep. Jayapal disputed the CBP's denial that there had been no directive and said the only people who were held for additional screening Saturday night were those with Iranian heritage, while others were processed through the border normally.

Gov. Inslee relased a statement Monday afternoon, calling the actions at the border unacceptable.

"Customs and Border Protection denials of these reports are simply not credible," Inslee said. "There are multiple firsthand accounts of CBP agents deizing people's passports while they waited for up to 12 hours for re-entry into the United States. By all accounts, this is dention, regardless of whether the waiting area has bars on the windows."

The reported detentions follow a U.S. airstrike in Iraq last week that killed Qasem Soleimani, an Iranian general.