U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the Blaine Sector apprehended three Mexican nationals found to be illegally present in the United States near Lynden, Washington, according to a post from U.S. Border Patrol Blaine Sector on September 9, 2026. All three individuals are now in federal custody and awaiting removal proceedings.
Lynden is a small agricultural city in northeastern Whatcom County, located approximately eight miles south of the Canadian border. The area sits within the operational zone of the Blaine Sector, which covers the northern border of Washington state from the Pacific Coast to the Cascade Mountains.
About the Blaine Sector
The U.S. Border Patrol Blaine Sector is responsible for roughly 100 miles of international border between Washington state and British Columbia, Canada. The sector includes checkpoints and patrol zones throughout Whatcom and Skagit counties, with agents operating in both urban corridors and rural farmland where border crossings can occur away from official ports of entry.
Enforcement activity in the Lynden area is not uncommon given the city's proximity to the border and its extensive rural road network. Agricultural fields and forested land between Lynden and the international boundary create terrain that agents monitor regularly for unauthorized crossings. The area around Lynden includes several small roads that run close to or parallel to the border, requiring regular patrol coverage.
Removal Proceedings Explained
When individuals are apprehended by Border Patrol and determined to be present in the United States without legal authorization, they are typically processed and transferred to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody or held by Border Patrol while their cases are referred to immigration courts administered by the U.S. Department of Justice Executive Office for Immigration Review. Removal proceedings are the formal legal process through which an immigration judge determines whether an individual is subject to deportation under federal law.
The timeline and outcome of removal proceedings vary depending on factors including an individual's immigration history, any prior removal orders, and whether they express a fear of return to their home country that could trigger asylum or withholding of removal review.
The Blaine Sector publishes regular updates on enforcement activity across Whatcom and Skagit counties. For more on how federal immigration enforcement operates in northwest Washington, the Customs and Border Protection website maintains sector-level information on staffing and operations.
No additional details were provided in the announcement regarding the circumstances of the apprehension, the specific location within the Lynden area, or the individuals' names or ages. The Bellingham Scoop will update this report if further information becomes available from federal authorities. Readers with general questions about immigration enforcement in Whatcom County can also contact the Blaine Sector public affairs office through Customs and Border Protection.
