U.S. lawmakers have yet to receive CBP apology for Iranian-American detention, DelBene says

After demanding U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials issue a public apology on the January 2020 detention of Iranian-Americans at a Blaine border crossing, U.S. lawmakers say the request was ignored.

U.S. congresswomen Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) called on CBP to issue a formal apology related to the January 4-5, 2020 event in which almost 100 individuals of Iranian descent were detained at the Peace Arch border crossing after an Iranian pop concert in Vancouver. 

The travelers were crossing the border as tensions between the U.S. and Iran escalated following a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Some of those who were sent to secondary inspection were held for up to 12 hours and others turned away because of the overcrowded facility.

In a November 2021 letter to CBP acting commissioner Troy Miller, DelBene and Jayapal demanded CBP release an internal report on the incident before the incident’s two-year anniversary January 5, 2022. The congresswomen also requested a formal apology for a CBP tweet that denied the interrogation but was later proven false by a CBP whistleblower who said CBP’s Seattle Office of Field Operations in Blaine issued the directive. CBP was also asked to have an Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties’ report published on the event and hold a press conference to issue a public apology and commit to change.

In a statement issued to The Northern Light through her spokesperson, DelBene said her office followed up with CBP in January but did not receive an official response.

“It is entirely unacceptable that over two years after this incident CBP has not issued a public apology for its disrespectful actions at the Peace Arch border crossing,” DelBene said. “More than just the lack of apology, CBP has not made the structural reforms that are needed to ensure these incidents don’t happen again in the future.”

DelBene said she will continue to push CBP’s public apology and release of an internal report on the detention. 

“I will continue to raise this with the Biden administration until I receive a satisfactory answer,” she said. 

A CBP spokesperson did not respond to request for comment by press time. 

This article has been updated to correct the spelling of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. We regret the error.