Immigration

KING 5: Washington congresswoman requests Point Roberts residents be exempt from US-Canada border restrictions

| Posted in In the News

POINT ROBERTS, Wash — UPDATE | Rep. Suzan DelBene, the Washington congresswoman who represents Point Roberts, sent a letter Wednesday to Secretary of State Antony Blinken after seeing KING 5's report on the International Marketplace's impending closure. In her letter, DelBene requested Blinken grant an immediate exemption for Point Roberts residents from…

DelBene Leads Calls on U.S. and Canada to Provide Transparency, Flexibility for Point Roberts, Border Communities During COVID-19

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Representatives Suzan DelBene (WA-01) and Collin Peterson (MN-07) called on the Canadian government to provide more flexibility and transparency for Americans who reside in the exclave communities of Point Roberts in Washington and the NW Angle in Minnesota. In a letter to the Canadian Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the lawmakers, who represent these two…

DelBene Continues to Demand Answers from CBP on Iranian Detentions at Border

| Posted in Press Releases

Following a briefing by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials on the investigation into the detainment and interrogation of Iranians and Iranian Americans at the Peach Arch Border Crossing in January, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) issued following statement. “In early January of this year, I received reports of more than 60 people of Iranian descent being held for…

DelBene Issues Statement on Meeting with CBP Officials

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman DelBene and Congresswoman Jayapal met with officials from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to discuss the multiple cases of Iranian Americans being detained and questioned at length while entering the US from Canada at the Blaine Peace Arch crossing in January and the recently leaked CBP memo directing CBP agents to discriminate specifically against individuals of…

Washington Democratic House Members Comment on Report that CBP Targeted Iranian-Americans

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, members of Washington’s Democratic delegation in the House of Representatives issued a joint statement after an internal memo from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows Iranian-Americans and others were deliberately targeted for detainment at the Blaine Peace Arch crossing in early January. The Washington Democratic delegation includes Representatives Suzan DelBene, Rick…

DelBene Responds to CBP Memo Confirming Intent to Detain Iranian Americans at the Border

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) made the following statement after an internal memo from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) shows Iranian-Americans and others were deliberately targeted for detainment at the Blaine Peace Arch crossing in early January. “I am deeply alarmed that CBP was dishonest regarding the detainment of Americans of Iranian, Lebanese, and…

DelBene Sends Letter to DHS Demanding Answers on Iranian-Americans Being Detained at Border

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-1) led a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “to obtain more information regarding the holding of Iranian Americans in secondary inspection upon entering the United States in Blaine, Washington” over the weekend. The letter is co-led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-7), and Senators Patty Murray (D-WA) and Maria Cantwell (D-WA). The letter…

DelBene Announces State of the Union Guest

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene announced that Yasmin Ali of Redmond will be her guest at the State of the Union address on Tuesday evening. Ali, an American Muslim who immigrated to the U.S. from India over 25 years ago, currently serves on the Education Committee of the Muslim Association of the Puget Sound (MAPS), a diverse community organization she helped establish. "Yasmin…

In Case You Missed It: “Local immigrants, lawmaker blast Trump administration over new asylum rules”

| Posted in Press Releases

On Monday, Rep. Suzan DelBene (D-WA) joined asylees, immigration lawyers and advocates to rally against the Trump administration’s orders to no longer process asylum requests for victims of domestic or gang violence. DelBene was joined by Maikol Alvarado, a recent high school graduate who came to the U.S. with his mother and three siblings from Honduras after their father was killed by…

DelBene Signs Discharge Petition on Immigration Bills, Urges Republicans to Follow Suit

| Posted in Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene signed a bipartisan discharge petition that would force a vote on multiple immigration bills, including the DREAM Act, which would grant legal status to certain undocumented immigrants who came to the United States as children.  “President Trump and Paul Ryan have promised Dreamers and all Americans that they would pass meaningful immigration…