US Border Patrol's Blaine Sector Targeted Enforcement Unit arrested two individuals illegally present in the United States near Sumas, Washington on May 27, 2026, according to an announcement from the agency. Both subjects were taken into custody and are being held pending removal proceedings.
Sumas is a small city in northern Whatcom County that sits directly on the US-Canada border at the Sumas-Huntingdon international crossing. The area is one of several points in Whatcom County where the Border Patrol's Blaine Sector maintains active enforcement operations. The Targeted Enforcement Unit focuses on identifying and detaining individuals the agency has flagged as higher-priority enforcement targets.
The Blaine Sector covers the northwestern corner of Washington State and is one of 20 Border Patrol sectors nationwide. It encompasses approximately 97 miles of international border between the United States and Canada, running from the Pacific Coast at Point Roberts east through Whatcom and Okanogan counties. The sector is headquartered in Blaine and maintains substations throughout the region.
Border enforcement activity in Whatcom County has remained a consistent presence for residents living in communities along the US-Canada line. Towns like Sumas, Blaine, Lynden, and Birch Bay are all within the Blaine Sector's patrol area, and residents occasionally encounter checkpoints or enforcement activity on rural roads and at official ports of entry.
Both individuals apprehended in the May 27 operation are currently in immigration detention and facing removal. US Customs and Border Protection did not release information about the nationalities or circumstances of the apprehension. Removal proceedings are handled through the Department of Homeland Security and the immigration court system.
For context on other public safety activity in Whatcom County, recent warnings from the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office about phone scams targeting residents are also circulating this week. Residents with questions about border enforcement operations in the area can contact the Blaine Sector public affairs office directly.
Immigration enforcement operations in the Sumas corridor are ongoing. The Blaine Sector regularly publishes enforcement statistics and updates through its official channels.
