Editor’s note: Story updated at 11:34 am on 7/31/26 to include comment from DHS.
BLAINE, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The ACLU of Washington is taking the federal government to court over the treatment of a family that was detained for nearly a month while trying to cross the border in Blaine.
The civil rights organization filed a federal claim Wednesday, July 29 on behalf of a family it argues was held in “deplorable” conditions at a Blaine border facility.
According to the claim, the family sought asylum in the U.S. after fleeing persecution in their home country, but an immigration judge denied their request and ordered them to be deported.
The family was arrested in Blaine while trying to flee to Canada in April 2025 and detained in a small, windowless cell for roughly four weeks.
The ACLU claims they were subjected to extreme heat and unsafe conditions that caused the pregnant mother to lose consciousness twice. The family included four children ranging in age from 11 months to 13 years old.
The federal government has six months to respond to the claim for damages.
The Department of Homeland Security refuted the ACLU’s claims in a statement emailed to My Bellingham Now.
“These illegal aliens were detained because an immigration judge determined their claims were NOT valid. They received due process. All CBP detainees receive food, water, access to showers and medical care.” (emphasis theirs)
