FORKS – The first terrorism checkpoint in the Northern Olympic Peninsula has spurred complaints and concerns that are reaching as far as Washington D.C.
U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks’ office received “a number of complaints and inquiries” Friday from constituents in the Forks area, said an aide to the congressman, D-Belfair.
Customs and Border Protection agents manned a roadblock on the southbound lane of U.S. Highway 101 north of Forks on Thursday morning.
They stopped some motorists to ask about their citizenship and birthplace.
The agents detained seven illegal immigrants, taking them to a detention center in Tacoma.
Dicks called Forks Mayor Nedra Reed about the situation, said George Behan, the congressman’s spokesman, on Friday.
Reed said that when Dicks visited Forks a few weeks ago, she told him she wanted him to work on immigration policy.
She told him that a policy that is “workable, viable, and structured” is important “so that people don’t have to live in fear.”
She told him Friday that her primary concern was the way the checkpoint invoked fear within Latinos living in Forks.
“We have worked hard to build relationship with Latino community,” Reed said.
“I do not want to see this action taken by the federal government impact the relationship we’re building.”
Reed said she was assured by the agency that it would provide the Latino community with the seven people’s names, which are typically not made public.
“I was encouraged that the border patrol will let us know who was picked up,” Reed said.
