Border Patrol "spot checks" on ferries provoke outrage in San Juan Islands

[southern_belle]

San Juan Islanders are used to customs inspections in Anacortes if they take the ferry that comes from Sidney, B.C. Before now, though, they were never subjected to checks on domestic ferry runs.

That changed in February, when federal agents started corralling everyone off domestic ferries into a fenced-off area in Anacortes and questioning them about their citizenship. It now happens once, maybe twice a week; no one has any way to know if they will be stopped.

``snip``

Terms like "police state" are hurled around, as they say the searches are illegal, unconstitutional — and just a ruse to catch illegal immigrants and petty drug users.

``snip``

Because island residents who board domestic ferries don't cross an international border, they "have a right not to reveal anything about their legal status," said Matt Adams, an attorney with the Seattle-based Northwest Immigrant Rights Project and a member of the ACLU.

"Once they're inside the country, Immigration doesn't have the right to detain someone without reasonable suspicion," Adams said. And ethnic background, skin color or language don't meet that threshold.

More at http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2004364797_ferrypatrol22m.html

[maxsolomon]

1. you're questioning lots of rich retirees.

i thought this country was designed by, & operated for, rich folks.

seriously, the idea that a terrorist would kayak to a san juan island & then take the ferry to the mainlaid strains credulity.

[LibDemAlways]

2. Last April I rented a little house on Lopez Island for a week. It

was very quiet there, and I decided to head over to Friday Harbor on San Juan Island one day, and had a good opportunity to observe my fellow passengers on the mostly empty ferry. The ferry riders are a mix of locals and tourists. Pickings would be very slim for the border patrol. If word about this gets around, people are going to shy away and the economy of all of those islands will suffer. Sounds like total bullshit to me.

[Beregond2]

3. Meanwhile,

most freight shipped into this country is still not inspected. Sigh.