U.S. Border Patrol swiftly returned seven individuals to Canada after they illegally crossed into Vermont by driving across the lawn of the Haskell Free Library—a unique building straddling the U.S.-Canada border. The group, including nationals from Canada, France, and Romania, was intercepted on Interstate 91 and repatriated under pandemic health rules. The incident highlights the challenges of monitoring the porous border, where the library grounds have become an informal meeting point for separated families since COVID-19 restrictions began.
U.S. Border Patrol Intercepts Vehicle Crossing from Quebec
DERBY LINE, Vt. (AP) — Seven people were apprehended and swiftly returned to Canada after illegally entering Vermont by driving across the lawn of the Haskell Free Library, a unique building straddling the U.S.-Canada border, U.S. Border Patrol officials confirmed Thursday.
Surveillance footage released by authorities shows the vehicle maneuvering near the Haskell Free Library and Opera House on July 4, narrowly avoiding a collision with another car as it turned onto a residential street in the Vermont community.
Border Patrol agents intercepted the vehicle shortly afterward as it traveled south on Interstate 91. Officials identified the occupants as nationals of Canada, France, and Romania.
Pandemic Protocols Prompt Immediate Return
Under special public health measures designed to curb the spread of COVID-19, the group was repatriated to Canada without further detention.
A Library Without Borders
Constructed in the early 20th century, the Haskell Free Library was intentionally built across the international boundary, with its entrance in Vermont. Prior to pandemic-related closures, Canadians could access the library without reporting to a customs checkpoint.
Since routine border crossings were restricted due to COVID-19, the library grounds have become an informal meeting point for separated families and friends, who gather on opposite sides of the border to communicate.
The Border Patrol’s surveillance video, captured by cameras mounted on utility poles near the library, shows another group engaged in such a reunion on the opposite side of the building from where the unauthorized crossing occurred.
The incident highlights ongoing challenges in monitoring the largely unguarded border between the two nations. Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the illegal entry.
