Bellingham man goes border to border on single tank of gas

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  Steven Russell Harmon, who is believed to be from Oregon, was travelling north into Canada when he was stopped for routine questioning at the Blaine Peace Arch crossing Friday evening, Sept. 9, said Washington State Patrol Trooper Keith Leary.

  Canadian customs agents eventually denied him entry, and his car was brought back to the American side of the border for a secondary search. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents found photographs of children engaged in sexual acts, Leary said.

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  Current and former Border Patrol agents said field offices around the country began receiving the order last month - soon after the Obama administration announced that to ease an overburdened immigration system, it would allow many illegal immigrants to remain in the country while it focuses on deporting those who have committed crimes.

  The routine bus, train and airport checks typically involved agents milling about and questioning people who appeared suspicious, and had long been criticized by immigrant rights groups. Critics said the tactic amounted to racial profiling and violated travelers' civil liberties.

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