The deportation of an Iranian national to Canada by U.S. customs authorities has prompted Conservative MP Melissa Lantsman to ask why this individual with alleged terrorism ties holds Canadian permanent residency (PR) status.
“Why does this man, who the #US sees as a terrorist threat, have PR in #Canada?” Ms. Lantsman wrote in a
Dec. 28 post on social media platform X.
The MP’s concerns stems from a
Dec. 28 press release by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Working with Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Buffalo, ICE deported the man on Dec. 21, ICE said. The individual, whose identity was not disclosed, is considered a “national security priority” and is wanted by Canadian authorities on assault charges, according to the release.
“The Canadian resident’s return to Canada to face charges is due to the dedicated officers on both sides of the border, working in tandem, to provide public safety for our communities,” ERO Buffalo Field Office Director Thomas Brophy stated in the release.
The fugitive allegedly tried to enter the United States on Oct. 10 via the Rainbow Bridge pedestrian walkway in Niagara Falls. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers denied him entry and returned him to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) the same day.
Subsequently, on Oct. 12, the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), the federal law enforcement agency under the CBP, arrested him for unlawfully crossing into the United States from Canada around the Whirlpool Bridge port of entry in Niagara Falls.
Following his arrest, ERO Buffalo served him with an expedited removal order on Nov. 8. Based on the Safe Third Country Agreement, ERO Buffalo removed him to Canada on Dec. 21 and turned him over to Canadian law enforcement authorities with CBSA.
The Epoch Times reached out to CBSA for comment but didn’t hear back immediately.
Calls for IRGC Sanction
While the specific terrorism activities the man was allegedly connected to were undisclosed, Ms. Lantsman highlighted calls for the Liberal government to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist group.The IRGC was established as a military branch in Iran in 1979, following the Iranian Revolution, to protect the new Islamic regime. It has since evolved into a body with vast political, military, and economic power in Iran, according to the New York-based Council on Foreign Relations.
On Dec. 13, 2023, a group of bipartisan
U.S. lawmakers issued a
letter urging Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to expand Canada’s current terrorist designation of Quds Force to encompass the entire IRGC.
Public Safety Canada
describes the Quds Force, also known by other names like Qods, as a covert branch of the IRGC “responsible for extraterritorial operations, and for exporting the Iranian Revolution through activities such as facilitating terrorist operations.” The department also says the Quds Force provides arms, funding, and paramilitary training to extremist groups, including the Taliban, Lebanese Hezbollah, Hamas, among others.
“[Justin Trudeau] can ban the [IRGC terrorists] today to keep Canadians safe — but he won’t,” Ms. Lantsman wrote in her Dec. 28 post on X.
On Dec. 13,
Defence Minister Bill Blair said the federal government is “absolutely committed” to removing individuals who are connected to the Iranian regime or sponsor terrorism. His statement came amid reports of the potential deportation of an alleged senior Iranian official, Iranmanesh Majid.
The Canadian government has launched a case against Mr. Majid, who faces potential deportation under
sanctions introduced in 2022 aimed at banning senior members of the Iranian regime from Canada. His case is slated to begin on
Jan. 17, 2024, with the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB) conducting hearings to assess grounds for potential deportation,
Global News reported on Dec. 13.
Another individual, Seyed Salman Samani, has also been referred to the IRB for hearings set to begin on Jan. 3, 2024, due to his alleged ties to the Iranian regime,
Global News reported on Dec. 6.
Matthew Horwood contributed to this report
