U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Blaine Sector recently traveled to Alaska to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement in arresting two Tongan citizens living in the country illegally near Anchorage. Both individuals are being processed for removal from the United States, according to a statement from the agency.
The Blaine Sector's Role Beyond Whatcom County
The Blaine Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is headquartered in Blaine, Washington, and is responsible for patrolling the northwestern corner of Washington State, including the U.S.-Canada border from the Cascade Mountains west to the Pacific Coast. The sector covers roughly 120 miles of international border and routinely coordinates with other federal agencies on enforcement actions.
This deployment to Alaska is a reminder that Blaine Sector agents are part of a national enforcement network. Border Patrol sectors frequently provide support to each other and to ICE when cases require additional manpower or specialized skills. The Blaine Sector has previously assisted in enforcement operations in other parts of the country, though such deployments are rarely publicized in detail.
The two men arrested near Anchorage are citizens of Tonga, an island nation in the South Pacific. Tongan nationals living in the United States sometimes hold Temporary Protected Status or other immigration authorizations, but the agency statement indicates the two individuals arrested were present in the country illegally. Both are now in ICE custody and are being processed through the federal removal system, which can involve immigration court proceedings before any deportation order is carried out.
Federal Removal Process and What Comes Next
Being "processed for removal" does not mean a person is immediately deported. Under U.S. immigration law, individuals generally have the right to appear before an immigration judge and, in some cases, to apply for relief from removal. The process can take months or years depending on court backlogs and individual circumstances. ICE's Enforcement and Removal Operations division oversees this process nationally.
The Blaine Sector has been active in publicizing enforcement actions in recent months. The sector covers one of the busiest land border crossings in the Pacific Northwest, including the Peace Arch crossing at Blaine and the Lynden and Sumas ports of entry. Agents in the sector regularly encounter individuals attempting to cross the border illegally in both directions, and the sector also participates in broader immigration enforcement operations coordinated by ICE.
For residents of Whatcom County, the Blaine Sector's activities are a constant background element of life near the U.S.-Canada border. The sector's area of responsibility includes communities such as Blaine, Birch Bay, Lynden, Sumas, and Everson, and its agents are sometimes visible at interior checkpoints and during patrols along the border zone. More information about the sector's operations and recent announcements is available through the official CBP Blaine Sector page.
The agency has not released the names of the two individuals arrested, nor has it provided additional details about how long they had been living in Alaska or how the investigation that led to their arrest developed. The Bellingham Scoop will continue to monitor enforcement announcements from the Blaine Sector as they are released.
