A DHS-linked HSDF tour at Peace Arch in August 2025 foreshadowed biometric border screening and expanded checkpoints now reshaping U.S.–Canada travel.
BLAINE, Wash. — A quiet, invite-only tour at the Peace Arch Port of Entry last summer foreshadowed a major expansion of border security technology now reshaping how travelers cross the U.S.–Canada border.
The visit linked federal enforcement priorities with private-sector technology firms and preceded the rollout of facial biometric screening that formally took effect in late December. As visitors to the United States cross the border, automated cameras now capture facial images that feed into Department of Homeland Security identity verification systems.
The reporting began with a short TikTok video and later expanded into a broader examination of public-private security partnerships in the Pacific Northwest.
An Unpublicized VIP Tour at the Border
On August 21, 2025, approximately 25 to 30 individuals wearing lanyards marked “U.S. Homeland Security and Defense Forum” were observed touring the Peace Arch grounds. The group was led by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Area Port Director Harmit Gill.
The group walked the park surrounding the Peace Arch monument, posed for photographs near the international boundary, and briefly crossed into Canada along Zero Avenue in Surrey, British Columbia. No demonstrations or press availability accompanied the visit.
The organization behind the tour, the US Homeland Security and Defense Forum, is a Washington, D.C.–based nonprofit that convenes government officials, defense contractors, and technology firms around homeland security initiatives. HSDF regularly hosts Border Industry Academy site visits, which are closed-door events designed to give industry and policy leaders direct exposure to border operations.
Who Was There and Why It Matters
PNW Daily reviewed video from the day of the tour alongside public records, professional profiles, and HSDF materials. That reporting identified several high-level participants whose roles connect directly to border security technology at the U.S.–Canada border.
- Christopher Long, founder of HSDF and president of Washington Resource Associates, the firm that manages HSDF programming
- Dave Macklin, senior vice president of government affairs at Washington Resource Associates, who has referenced the HSDF Border Industry Academy Blaine Sector visit
- Robert Novy, senior director at Oracle and a member of HSDF’s Senior Advisory Committee
- Dr. Barry C. West, a former senior Department of Homeland Security official and cybersecurity advisor who frequently speaks at HSDF events
The group included CBP leaders, former DHS executives, and private-sector technology specialists. Their presence indicates the visit focused on strategy rather than ceremony.
From Site Visit to System Deployment
The HSDF tour occurred during a year of intensified enforcement at Peace Arch.
Beginning in May 2025, outbound inspections, which previously occurred only once or twice per year, expanded to near-daily operations. These inspections produced multi-hour backups on Interstate 5. While the frequency eased by early fall, CBP equipment movements and intermittent operations continued through the end of the year.
On December 26, 2025, a new rule from the Department of Homeland Security formally took effect. The rule authorizes mandatory facial biometric collection for non-U.S. citizens entering or exiting the United States at land ports of entry, including Peace Arch.
Oracle plays a central role in that infrastructure, providing cloud services that support CBP’s Traveler Verification Service. This platform is used to process and match facial images. The presence of Oracle leadership during the August tour directly links the site visit to the security technology at the U.S.–Canada border now operational.
A Pattern Comes Into Focus
Taken together, events at the Peace Arch in 2025 reveal a clear enforcement timeline.
- Spring and summer 2025: Expanded outbound checkpoints disrupt traffic patterns
- August 21, 2025: HSDF conducts a closed-door tour with CBP and industry leaders at Peace Arch
- December 26, 2025: DHS biometric rule takes effect at land borders
- Early 2026: Peace Arch operates under heightened enforcement with embedded biometric systems
No single visit determines federal policy. However, HSDF routinely brings decision-makers and vendors to operational border sites, allowing technology to move from concept to deployment before the public is informed, which this timeline provides insight into things to come.
Why This Matters for the Pacific Northwest
Under the administration of President Donald J. Trump, northern border crossings have increasingly been treated with the same enforcement posture as the southern border. This includes an emphasis on smuggling interdiction, identity verification, and zero-release policies.
For residents of Whatcom County and frequent cross-border travelers, the shift has practical consequences. These include periodic outbound checkpoints, mandatory facial biometrics for non-U.S. citizens, and longer wait times during enforcement surges.
The Peace Arch Port of Entry remains open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. However, the experience of crossing it has fundamentally changed. CBP outlined much of the border security upgrade plans with these new biometric data requirements and other potential changes ahead in its Air and Marine Operations Vision and Strategy 2030, published during the first Trump administration.
Editor’s Note
This reporting originated with on-the-ground video captured during routine border coverage and shared initially as live updates. Subsequent analysis of the footage, credentials, and participant identities revealed a deeper story that connects public observation to federal policy and private-sector influence.
Press requests for interviews or answers to questions went unanswered by CBP.
How the Participants Were Identified
Initial footage of the tour was recorded during routine border coverage and published as a short-form social media video. At the time, the identities of the participants were unknown.
Subsequent reporting involved frame-by-frame review of the video and the use of artificial intelligence tools to assist with visual pattern analysis, credential recognition, and cross-referencing publicly available images and professional profiles. Identifications were confirmed through open-source records, organizational materials, and self-disclosed affiliations.
No law enforcement databases or restricted systems were used. The process relied on publicly accessible information and standard journalistic verification.
As PNW Daily continues covering border security in 2026, attention will remain on how technology partnerships and enforcement priorities reshape daily life along the 49th parallel.
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