Iranian Americans Detained At Peace Arch Border Crossing

7th January 2020 – In an incident certain to inflame domestic tensions over the US’s recent air strikes in Iran it appears that dozens of Iranian-American citizens were initially prevented from crossing the Peace Arch Border Crossing into the US, with some reports suggesting they were detained and questioned for nearly 12 hours.

The U.S. Dept of Homeland Security’s CBP says that it is “is operating with an enhanced posture”

The Council on American Islamic relations (CAIR) said that the individuals detained were returning from an Iranian music festival in Vancouver and were trying to pass through the Peach Arch crossing in Blaine, Washington.

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were keen to state that the individuals were not refused because of their country of origin and that “reports the DHS/CBP have issued a related directive are also false.”

Several members of congress have spoken out about the incident voicing concerns about unfairly detaining US citizens. Californian Republican Barbara Lee stated on Twitter that “…We can’t let this stand” and said that her office would offer assistance to those affected.

Michale Friel, a CBP spokesperson did state that “based on the current threat environment, CBP is operating with an enhanced posture.” Concern about reprisal attacks from homegrown Iranian Americans or others sympathetic to the recent Trump sanctioned killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani are likely to be the primary aggravator.