U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested a Mexican national near Everson, Washington on Sunday, June 22, 2026, according to an announcement from the Blaine Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The individual is currently in federal custody and is being held pending immigration removal proceedings.
Everson is a small city of roughly 2,700 residents located in the Nooksack Valley, approximately 15 miles northeast of Bellingham. The surrounding area is predominantly agricultural, with farms producing berries, dairy, and other crops that define much of eastern Whatcom County's rural character. Like other communities in the eastern part of the county, Everson sits within a zone that sees regular Border Patrol patrols given its proximity to the Canadian border.
The Everson arrest was one of two announced by Blaine Sector agents on June 22. Agents also arrested a separate Mexican national near Lynden, Washington, several miles to the north, earlier in the same day. That individual had a prior DUI arrest on record. The two arrests, announced separately through official channels, point to an active enforcement period in eastern Whatcom County on Sunday.
The Blaine Sector covers roughly 300 miles of border across northwestern Washington, from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific coast. The sector includes five ports of entry and extensive rural terrain that requires regular ground patrols. Blaine Sector regularly publishes individual enforcement summaries through public channels as part of its transparency and community outreach efforts.
When a person is arrested for immigration violations, they are transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and placed into the administrative immigration court system. Removal proceedings determine whether an individual will be formally deported or whether other legal options apply. The process can take months or longer, depending on the individual's legal situation and whether they contest the removal order.
Eastern Whatcom County has a significant population of farmworkers and long-term Latino residents, many of whom have lived and worked in the area for years or decades. Community organizations throughout the county provide legal resources and support for individuals navigating the immigration system. The Northwest Immigrant Rights Project provides free and low-cost immigration legal services to residents across Washington state, including Whatcom County.
For those wanting to stay informed on law enforcement activity in the Nooksack Valley and surrounding areas, the Whatcom County Sheriff's Office publishes incident logs and public safety updates through its official channels. Additional context on recent law enforcement activity in the broader Whatcom County area is available in this report on a BPD operation earlier in June.
The Blaine Sector Border Patrol can be reached through the CBP official website for information about enforcement activities or to report a tip.
