DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY

Homeland Security Checks at Anacortes terminal 2-3 times a week for immediate future

By Sharon Kivisto

posted 03/12/2008
A family residing illegally in Friday Harbor for ten years was detained and is now in federal facilities in Pennsylvania awaiting deportation after not clearing a random Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) check in Anacortes earlier this month. The random checks will be happening two to three times a week for the immediate future said Deputy Chief Patrol Agent of the Blaine Patrol Sector Joe Giuliano said.

The purpose of the enforcement action is to address the vulnerability to terrorism posed by the porous border in the islands. People can be dropped off illegally in boats or by plane and then enter the rest of the U.S. by ferry, Giuliano said. Similar checks on buses, airplanes, trains and ferries have been done in the Bellingham area for years.

"We'll establish a deterrent value," he said. "Then we'll do it often enough to be a reminder."

County councilmembers Alan Lichter has expressed outrage that "citizens" have been deported. Howie Rosenfeld is concerned about the effect is has when they have "disappeared" from the community. Rosenfeld asked Sheriff Cumming if it would be reasonable to ask ICE officers to notify the county when someone was taken so the community. Cumming said the council could make the request.

Asked in the phone interview, Giuliano said the 1974 Federal Privacy Act prevented ICE from releasing the information. The officers do recognize the humanitarian needs of the people arrested and they are allowed to make an unmonitored call. "We realize sometimes the person they are calling is documentarily challenged," he said. At the detention center the arrestee can make as many calls as they want to. The person also has the right to contact the consulate of their official country of origin.

Another concern Rosenfeld had was the possibility racial profiling was happening. Giuliano, himself the son of immigrants, said, "It is simply not the case." People from more than 60 nationalities have been deported from the Blaine Patrol Sector.

"Agents are trained not to make distinctions on ethnic appearances, it never stands on its own," he said. "There are a number of indicators, a number of observations." For obvious reasons, he didn't list them. But in order to be detained, a person has to raise suspicions to a level of probable cause in order to be detained.

"You have to build upward," Giuliano said. "No where in there is ethnicity a factor." It's a diverse world we live in. We don't work that way. We do tend to run into and apprehend more hispanics because of the economic situation with Mexico." He said if we bordered Norway and it had the same economic situation as Mexico, they'd be arresting more Norwegians.

Hearing the concerns of the councilmembers, Giuliano said he would be happy to come to the island and explain ICE's actions. Councilmember Rosenfeld called Giuliano and he has been added to the March 18 council meeting agenda at 11:15 a.m. The council meets in the legislative building at 55 Second Street in Friday Harbor and the meetings are open to the public.

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