SHELBY — The Havre Sector Border Patrol recently released plans for a security initiative that aims to “reduce the frequency of inadvertent border crossings, which currently occupy a significant portion of agents’ time.”
The plan is to install sand-filled jersey barriers on five roads heading northbound from the U.S. border road which straddles Canada.
The Havre Sector Border Patrol said in a news release:
Part of this initiative involves the purchase and placement of sand-filled Jersey barriers on five roads leading north from Border Road, located in the Sweetgrass Border Patrol Station’s area of operation.
The placement of these barriers will reduce the number of inadvertent border crossings as well as assist with identifying nefarious actors.
These barriers will not obstruct or impede access to the main portion of Border Road in any way but will serve as clear border delineators on northbound roads, notifying those unfamiliar with the area of the precise border boundary.
For reference, jersey barriers are either plastic or concrete barriers shaped like pyramids. For example, they can be seen splitting the highway driving through the Helena Canyon.
There has been much discussion and confusion among citizens on what that actually means.
Toole County Commissioners are concerned with the barriers, believing they will impede residents living along the Border Road as well as emergency services which frequently use the access roads to cut down on response times.
There are at least three Canadian residents living just north of the border that commissioners are worried would now be forced to travel the Border Road all the way around and wait in line at the Sweetgrass checkpoint, instead of simply taking an access road in their own country.
Commissioner Terry Kimmet believes it’s a solution to a problem that hardly exists.
“The people up there are very aware that, if the people in the US need to go to Canada, then they have to drive in, check in to customs to get to Canada. And likewise, on the Canadian side, they come in and have to go through the port and then come into the United States,” says Kimmet.
The Border Road is a county-maintenance road overseen by the Toole County and Warner County (Alberta, Canada) commissioners.
Some have taken issue with barriers being placed on the road by a federal entity such as U.S. Customs & Border Protection.
“I have spoken with farmers and ranchers across Montana who have emphasized the importance of having easy access to and from Canada to allow for their products to reach the market on time," U.S. Representative Matt Rosendale (R-MT) said. "It is a complete overstep of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection to try and dictate this matter that should be decided by the County Commissioners.”
He added the decision shows a “complete lack of respect for the local community” and the decision to block access roads would “make [residents] daily activities nearly impossible.”
The sand-filled jersey barriers are said to be a temporary installation, but Toole County Commissioner Terry Tomsheck argues that language is misleading, saying, “they’re calling them temporary. In my mind, they’re calling them temporary because they fully intend on putting permanent ones in.”
It’s important to note the security initiative is still in its infancy stage.
Toole County Commissioners plan to host a meeting in September to address some of their concerns with the logistics of the projects.
They are expected to invite residents of both Toole and Warner Counties, Border Patrol agents, and state representatives including Senators.
MTN News plans to attend this meeting and update you with more information.
