Canada’s government could face “tough talks” with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s administration after border czar says Canada-U.S. border has “extreme national security vulnerabilities” I am aware that my sexuality is high.
This was the first issue discussed at today’s Cabinet Committee on Canada-U.S. Relations, and is a major focus, according to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Chrystia Freeland, who chairs the committee. The US government repeatedly tried to provide assurances that it takes the border “very seriously,” he said. , very seriously. ”
In an interview with 7 newsPresident Trump’s new border chief, Tom Homan, was asked about cases of people crossing the border on foot from Canada and how that compares to the situation at the southern border.
Homan responded by saying that personnel left at the Canada-U.S. border are “overwhelmed” and “overwhelmed” after the current administration reallocated resources to deal with people entering the country from Mexico. .
“The northern border issue is a major national security issue,” he said.
Homan said that’s because “special interest foreign nationals from countries that sponsor terrorism” know that there are fewer police officers stationed in the North, so they have less organizational and economic ability to fly to Canada and enter the United States. Because there is, he said.
“This is an extreme national security vulnerability and one that I will address immediately when I get to the White House.”
“When it comes to our southern border and our northern border, we see that there is a convergence of interests in ensuring security there,” Immigration Secretary Mark Miller told reporters Wednesday. Ta. “I expect there will be tough discussions,” he said.
Miller said Canada is and will continue to arrest individuals who cross the border “irregularly or in a manner that is ineligible for entry.” He also said the government will continue to work in the interest of the people, which he believes is consistent with the views of both the current and incoming U.S. administrations.
President Trump has selected Homan, a former director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and contributor to Project 2025, to oversee America’s northern and southern border.
Homan vowed to address the issue “immediately” and said he looked forward to “tough dialogue” with Canada and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to ensure immigration laws are enforced.
“There needs to be some negotiation between the two governments…There needs to be an understanding on the Canadian side that Canada cannot be a gateway for terrorists coming to the United States.”
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Wednesday in an interview with CTV’s Power Play that he disagrees with Homan’s characterization of how Canada manages its borders.
“I think we’ve worked well with the Americans over the decades to manage this…long and undefended border. I’m regularly briefed,” he said, later adding: , added that it’s not an “open buffet” for people seeking to enter Canada. If it is done illegally, they will face law enforcement.
Homan is also the leader of President Trump’s mass deportation plan, warning those already in the United States illegally to “start packing.”
Mr. Miller said he has not yet spoken directly to Mr. Homan, but is looking forward to doing so.
“Over the past few years, for example, historically we have had a large number of asylum seekers coming into Canada. [For] There are many reasons that have little to do with Canada,” Miller said, adding that the federal government will continue to control immigration flows “regardless” of who is in power south of the border.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), nearly 24,000 encounters with migrants were recorded between Canada and the U.S. border points between October 2023 and September 2024. , this is a significant increase compared to 916 cases during the same period in 2021.
U.S. border officials refer to an “encounter” when a Border Patrol agent encounters a person who cannot enter the United States or who has illegally crossed the border into the United States between border crossings.
When asked about efforts to address this sudden increase, LeBlanc said the numbers “will go down eventually.”
LeBlanc also argued that the RCMP would be given more resources to combat people smuggling at the border.
“The RCMP commissioner has told me that we are going to ramp up and re-impact various resources as needed,” LeBlanc said.
Tom Homan speaks at a primary election night party in Nashua, New Hampshire, on Tuesday, January 23, 2024, as Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump looks on. (Matt Rourke/AP communication)
Canada concerned about surge in US asylum applications
These cross-border comments come as Canada braces for a possible new surge in asylum applications from the United States to Canada as a result of President Trump’s pledge to send millions of illegal immigrants back to their “country of origin.” It was served in the middle of nowhere.
Within days of Trump’s re-election, the RCMP confirmed it was on “high alert” and warned of any possible consequences, including the possibility of a large influx of asylum seekers crossing the border ahead of Trump’s inauguration. prepared an emergency response plan in preparation for
Plans include implementation More RCMP officers deployed along the borderbuying or renting space to temporarily house immigrants, purchasing additional police vehicles or relying on resources from other states, as they did after the 2016 election.
However, the plan comes as the union representing front-line customs and immigration officers at the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) is concerned about staffing shortages.
The Customs and Immigration Union (CIU) said it needed between 2,000 and 3,000 additional staff to carry out its duties effectively.
In an interview with CTV Power Play on Wednesday, CIU national president Mark Weber said the union has been raising staffing concerns “for a long time.”
“We’ve made that case at every opportunity over the years,” Weber told host Vassy Kapelos.
Asked for a response, LeBlanc said senior executives running the CBSA took a different position. “The CBSA has very effective enforcement at recognized border crossings,” he said.
Weber also said he was “concerned” by Homan’s description of the Canada-U.S. border as a national security issue.
“Time will tell what impact such statements will have on the border,” Weber said.
During President Trump’s first term, a wave of asylum seekers began illegally entering Canada, taking advantage of a loophole in the Safe Third Country Agreement that requires them to apply for asylum in the country they first came to.
At the time, Prime Minister Trudeau publicly declared, “They are.”flee persecution, terrorism, and war” would be welcomed in Canada.
However, in recent years, the Canadian government has begun to take a tougher approach to immigration.
Last year, in conjunction with U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Canada, the two governments amended the Safe Third Country Agreement to close a heavily used intersection at Roxham Road in Quebec.
Miller said he expects the United States to continue adhering to the Safe Third Country Agreement to manage migration flows.
“It is in the national interests of both countries to ensure that migration flows are managed,” Miller said.
Additionally, this fall, Prime Minister Trudeau announced significant cuts to Canada’s immigration targets.
LeBlanc referenced comments made by Miller earlier this week, saying the government’s current position is that “not everyone is welcome to come to Canada by irregular routes.”
With files from CTV News’ Joy Malbon, Judy Trinh and Joe Lofaro
