Says Elderly Parents Mistreated at Border

To the Editor:

I am writing this letter as this is not the first, but the third time my elderly parents have been detained and interrogated at your border crossing. Due to their experience, they have tearfully decided to no longer spend their winters in your beautiful country; they are terrified that they will be subjected, once again, to abusive behavior when crossing your border.

I am unaware if this is normal border crossing policy, or if this an individual border crossing agent abusing their authority. At some point in this 90 minute detention and interrogation, someone in your organization must have become aware that two 77-82 year old law-abiding Canadian snowbirds posed no risk to American national security, had never broken any law nor ever disrespected the number of days allotted to Canadian travelers in your county, and yet no one stepped in.

I am certain that common sense should have prevailed when a Bellingham border crossing agent made the decision to utilize military-style interrogation techniques, bullying two elderly people for the sole purpose to disorient and ending with my Mother trembling and in tears.

These border crossing agents’ behavior was not, in any way, protecting America’s national security; this 90 minute episode of verbal abuse, disrespect and threatening behavior was, in my opinion, a misguided abuse of power, poor policy and even poorer leadership.

This incident has prompted me to write this letter to several newspapers, tourism associations and our local Governments, to express my concerns with the inappropriate, bullying behavior that continues at your border crossings.

Canadian travellers form a massive component to your national tourism economy, and I am certain that screening techniques are sophisticated enough to determine the difference between elderly law-abiding Canadian snowbirds and persons that pose risk.

Sincerely,

Adele Horst

Halfmoon Bay, Canada

CC: Bellingham Border Crossing

Border Road, Curlew, WA 99118, USA