Last month, Paige Adamson celebrated her birthday with friends in Tsawwassen before trying to cross the border back to Point Roberts, where she’d lived on a US green card for 14 years.
The 61-year-old Canadian citizen was detained by US immigration officials for 6 hours, on suspicion of illegally registering to vote and casting a ballot in an election in Washington state, something her son Dylan Adamson, who lives in Maple Ridge, says she did not do.
“She’s Canadian. She knows that. She knows she can’t vote,” said Dylan.
With a deportation hearing looming, Paige called Blaine lawyer Len Saunders for advice.
“I explained to her my concerns, that it was serious deportation proceedings, even though I think it was completely ridiculous,” Saunders said.
“They didn’t show her any proof. She herself denied it, not only in her sworn statement that she gave at the border during her six hours of detention, but in multiple phone calls I had with her over that month.”
Adamson was advised not to leave the United States again before her hearing. But last week, after a bad fall in her Point Roberts home, her health deteriorated.
“She was not feeling well to the point where she needed medical attention,” her son explained. “It was an emergency, and the paramedics came and advised her, ‘We have to take you to the hospital.’”
There is no hospital in Point Roberts, and getting to one in Bellingham would mean crossing her border, so Adamson refused to go. The next day, Oct. 18, she died in her home.
“My mom’s passed away because of fear of going to get help and crossing a border, and it sucks the fact that she could have got help,” Dylan said. “The ambulance was there ready to take her to the hospital, and she could be still here today.”
Paige Adamson’s case is not unique. Saunders has seen a recent surge in Canadian green card holders living south of the border being accused of registering to vote and voting in Washington state.
“Most of them were unknowingly registered when they got Washington State driver’s licenses,” Saunders said.
He says many caught up in the increased enforcement had no idea they were registered to vote, and are now facing deportation hearings.
“It’s almost like overreach of what the law was in the past. There was discretion. There seems to be no discretion,” Saunders explained.
The veteran immigration lawyer was shocked and saddened by Adamson’s death.
“Do you blame the border officers for putting the fear in God in her not to leave the United States? Do you put the blame (on the) Department of Licensing in Washington State for signing her up?” he said.
Saunders said Democrats also face some blame for insisting non-citizens are never able to register to vote, and Republicans for putting law-abiding green card holders into deportation proceedings.
Dylan Adamson doesn’t understand why his mother was targeted for deportation.
“She’s not a criminal offender. She never even had a DUI. She’s not a violent person. So why is this an issue?” he said.
Dylan had just recently reconnected with his mom, and he’s devastated that she’s gone.
“I don’t want anyone to feel this way,” Dylan said.
“The only reason I’m doing this right now is that maybe it sparks some sort of change.”
