Lawmakers press Ottawa, Washington to ease restrictions on isolated U.S. community

Source: Politico | August 10, 2020 | Lauren Gardner

Canada-U.S. border rules have left residents of a small northern town under “house arrest.”

Lawmakers in Washington state are pressuring Washington and Ottawa to explain the decision-making behind border-crossing restrictions, as residents of one geographically isolated community continue to have problems accessing the U.S. mainland.

Four members of Congress wrote to acting U.S. Ambassador to Canada Richard Mills on Monday urging him to work with the Trudeau government “to provide more transparency” on how rules may be eased and to advocate for “a phased approach” to reopening.

The Washington Democrats also pressed the case of Point Roberts, Wash., an exclave that sits just below the 49th parallel at the tip of the Tsawwassen peninsula and borders British Columbia. The 1,300 residents must cross the Canadian border twice by car to access the rest of the state.

“We’re fundamentally under house arrest,” said Christopher Carleton, fire chief of Whatcom County’s District 5, which includes Point Roberts. “Some people are not able to leave our community.”

The issue: The Canada Border Services Agency “prevents non-essential travel of American citizens between Point Roberts and the mainland, which isolates that community from the rest of Washington and the country,” said Reps. Suzan DelBene and Rick Larsen and Sens. Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray.

DelBene, whose district includes Point Roberts, said the interpretation of rules is so restrictive that even when constituents are permitted to cross the border, they must do so alone, effectively prohibiting companions on medical visits or helping hands on essential errands.

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