US Border Patrol raises tensions in small Washington town

A small town in Washington known as Fork has been invaded by the US Border Patrol.  Fork is located less than 60 miles from a ferry that can be used to access Vancouver Island in Canada.  Agents with the Border Patrol have setup a roadblock to help gain better control of immigration into the country from Canada.  High levels of anxiety can be seen throughout the small town.

The mayor of Forks, Nedra Reed said "Folks don't really understand ... why not in Blaine or on the Canadian border?  Why here? Why Forks?"  Reed said that the roadblock has "created a level of anxiety that's really unprecedented."

In the few days that the roadblock has been in place the US Border Patrol has already arrested 14 people on immigration related charges.  Another 2 were arrested because they had outstanding warrants.

The spokesperson for the US Border Patrol in the area, Michael Bermudez said that "The Border Patrol's primary concern is to enforce immigration law, and I know in the past, we haven't had checkpoints in the areas.  Today, we have the manpower and resources, and the Border Patrol is going to implement that strategy."  Bermudez added that "We want to be able to control what's going on in our borders."

A lawyer named Lisa Seifert who is also a member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association spoke about the road block: "Pretty much all of Washington is within the area where border checks are authorized," and that illegal immigrants will be "driven further underground. The results of these enforcement steps are keeping people away from schools, doctors."

www.cbp.gov