(CBC) U.S. border officers working at multiple Canada-U.S. border crossings were instructed to target and interrogate Iranian-born travellers in early January, said a U.S. border officer in an email obtained by CBC News.
The allegation follows reports that up to 200 people of Iranian descent travelling from B.C. — many of them Canadian or U.S. citizens — were detained and questioned for hours at the Peace Arch Border Crossing in Blaine, Wash., during the weekend of Jan. 4.
On Friday, Jan. 3, the U.S. assassinated Iran’s top general, Qassem Soleimani, intensifying tensions between the two countries.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) told CBC News that the “current threat environment” prompted it to implement an “enhanced posture” at the border. However, it denied detaining Iranian-born travellers and said the delays at the Peace Arch crossing were related to staffing issues during a busy holiday weekend.
