December 19, 2019

Residents of Spokane, WA battle immigration raids on buses

topic:	Immigration
located:	USA
editor:	Yair Oded

With the eyes of the nation fixated on the US-Mexico border and large-scale immigration raids in major cities, relatively little attention has been given to the rising pattern of Border Patrol agents boarding buses across the nation and pulling off non-citizen passengers for questioning, which at times can lead to their detention and deportation. 

This has been a critical issue in the midsize city of Spokane, Washington, where members of the local community have been battling the immigration authorities due to its incessant raids on buses leaving from the city’s main terminal. 

As reported by The Intercept, about three or four times a week, Border Patrol agents board the evening buses leaving from the Spokane Intermodal Center, for what the agency claims is routine immigration checks necessary due to human and drug trafficking activity from across the Canadian border. While Spokane lies in relative proximity to the Canadian border, it is by no means a border town, and none of the buses raided on a regular basis are headed across the US border. The raids are therefore but an excuse for immigration authorities to flex their muscles and inspire fear among the local population of immigrants. 

According to witnesses who spoke to The Intercept, the agents disproportionately target people of colour and minorities, and often use intimidating and humiliating tactics in their interrogation methods. Among those who are pulled off the bus are not only people without documentation but even those with legal status, including Green Card holders, refugees, exchange students, DACA beneficiaries and immigrants with valid work permits. 

As arrests of passengers at Intermodal became more frequent, one of which resulted in the deportation of a man married to a US citizen, members of the local community - including US citizens, immigrants, local NGO’s and immigration attorneys - came together and applied pressure on the city of Spokane to take a stance against the Border Patrol raids. Additionally, community members have been taking action to warn immigrants about upcoming raids and educate them about their rights under the law. 

Thus far, such acts of civic engagement and support of the immigrant community have been unsuccessful in deterring the immigration authorities. A City Council ordinance from last year that restricted Border Patrol’s ability to raid buses without a warrant from the city was all but ignored by the agency (which cited its right to conduct raids due to the city’s relative proximity to the Canadian border). The city’s mayor, a Trump supporter, later announced that he will not enforce the ordinance. 

Greyhound, the country’s largest inter-city bus carrier, which operates the vast majority of buses leaving out of Spokane Intermodal Center. While the company officially declared that it does not support Border Patrol’s policy of raids and does not cooperate with the agency, evidence abounds to suggest otherwise. A human rights activist from Spokane told The Intercept that immigration agents “have been present at the station for a long time… They’re friends with the employees, they’re in the waiting rooms, they’re in the employee rooms, they have access to all the employee areas. It’s full teamwork.” Such claims were substantiated by Border Patrol itself, which confirmed in a statement that it conducts its operations with full cooperation on Greyhound’s part. Several community members also told The Intercept that they were forcibly removed and threatened by Greyhound workers and security agents when trying to warn passengers about the raids, document the Border Patrol Agents and inform people of their rights.   

With the city failing to rein the agency in, and Greyhound all but giving it a green light to raid its buses, Border Patrol has steadily increased its operations in Spokane. In the past year alone, raids have culminated in 71 arrests of individuals. None of these people were charged with the involvement of human or drug smuggling. 

Immigration raids by government agents are hardly unique to Spokane. Yet the fact that such an extensive operation takes place in a city so far removed from a border crossing point for migrants and that has no alarming crime rates or human trafficking history highlights the fact that what’s behind these raids is a gross display of power and racism. 

Consistent engagement by local communities and a citizenry well-informed of the egregious human rights violations taking place against immigrants in everyday circumstances hold the greatest promise of bringing about positive change. 

Image: Free-Photos/ Pixabay 

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