Motorists wait at U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspection booths at the Peace Arch border crossing in Blaine, Wash., across the Canada-U.S. border from Surrey, B.C., on Nov. 8, 2021. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
With incoming U.S. President Donald Trump threatening a 25 percent tariff against Canada, the federal government says it’s taking action to address border security concerns, including deploying more resources.
Meanwhile, the premiers and federal political parties have also proposed solutions. They are also asking the federal government to announce a plan on how the government will alleviate Trump’s concerns to avoid the tariffs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau travelled to Florida on Nov. 29, where he met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago to discuss border security, cross-border drug trafficking, and trade between the two countries. While the conversations were described as positive by the two leaders, there was no announcement that Trump would cancel his plans to impose tariffs on Canada.
Ottawa’s Announcements
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, with Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly (L) and Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, speaks during a press conference on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Oct. 14, 2024. Dave Chan/AFP
According to Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, who was also at the dinner with Trump, Canada has committed to procuring additional drones and police helicopters for the border, as well as redeploying border personnel.
While LeBlanc did not say what specific types of equipment will be purchased for the security agencies, he said it would include technologies for aerial monitoring under different conditions. “We’re not going to bring the shopping list of exactly what models of drones we’re going to buy, or what kind of helicopter, two engines, one engine, what kind of infrared sensors and night vision equipment will be on those helicopters,” he said.
Appearing before the House of Commons public safety committee on Dec. 3, Leblanc didn’t provide a specific human resources plan to boost Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and RCMP presence at the border.
“There will be additional resources, human and equipment, we’ve said that consistently,” Leblanc told MPs, adding that the specific announcement will come before Trump takes office on Jan. 20. “We are finalizing that as a government now, based on the advice that we receive” from the RCMP and CBSA, he said.
Trudeau met with the premiers on Nov. 27, where they discussed ways for Canada to strengthen its relationship with the United States, including through trade and investment and by upholding border security, strengthening cross-border supply chains, and supporting Canadian and American manufacturing sectors.
Trump said on Nov. 25 that he would impose tariffs on all goods coming from Canada and Mexico until each country tackled its illegal immigration and drug smuggling issues. Since the United States is Canada’s largest trading partner, with 63 percent of its exports going to the country, the tariffs would be devastating for Canada’s economy.
While drug smuggling and illegal immigration are a much larger issue in Mexico, the number of people crossing from Canada to the United States has been increasing in recent years. U.S. Customs and Border Protection said that the border saw nearly 199,000 encounters in fiscal 2024, an increase of over 9,500 from the previous year, compared to over 2.1 million encounters at the U.S. border with Mexico in fiscal 2024.
Procurement Minister Jean-Yves Duclos told reporters in Ottawa on Dec. 3 that the government is “fast-tracking” the acquisition of border security equipment like drones, as the situation is “being considered a national emergency” by the Canadian government.
“We know that with the arrival of Mr. Trump, and the discussions that we had with Mr. Trudeau last week, it’s a priority not only for the U.S. government but certainly for Canadians, for the Canadian government,” he said.
A Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) patch is seen on a CBSA officer’s uniform in Tsawwassen, B.C., in a file photo. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
CBSA President Erin O'Gorman told the House of Commons public safety committee on Dec. 3 that while the CBSA focuses on ports of entry, the RCMP has a mandate between the ports. When asked about some CBSA officers being frustrated that they are unable to apprehend people illegally crossing the border without first calling the RCMP, she said it was “new information to me when I read it in the paper.”
“If that is an issue, I’m happy to undertake the work that it would take to address any legislative constraints. That would obviously be up to Parliament to make any final determination there,” she said.
When RCMP Commissioner Michael Duheme was asked if there is a plan to increase border enforcement to prevent the flow towards the U.S., he told the committee the “challenging” part is that the force cannot arrest people before they commit an offence, which takes place when they illegally cross the border.
“It’s more important than ever to have the right technology and the right partnership south of the border,” he added.
What the Premiers Have Said
While meetings between the federal government and the provinces can at times lead to testy disagreements, the nation’s first ministers seem to be on the same page when it comes to strengthening border security and appeasing the United States in order to avoid tariffs. Some premiers are also asking the federal government to present a clear plan.
Canada's premiers attend the Council of the Federation meetings in Halifax on July 16, 2024. The Canadian Press/Darren Calabrese
Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who initially called for a special meeting of the first ministers to discuss the tariffs, said the Ontario Provincial Police will help federal agencies with border security, but that Ottawa will need to take a harder approach to tackling illegal border crossings and drug and gun smuggling. Ontario is also launching an ad campaign in the United States to emphasize to Americans that Ontario “has been by your side.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has said the province will begin acting “decisively” to increase patrols at the border between Montana and Alberta, and that the Alberta Sheriffs Branch could be involved in these efforts. Smith has also said she shares Trump’s concerns about illegal immigration and drug smuggling and that she will reach out to her Montana counterparts to enhance coordination and information sharing.
Quebec Premier François Legault, who has long expressed his concerns about the border, has said it’s important that Quebec and Canada not become a sieve for illegal crossings. He has said the provincial police Sûreté du Québec will be conducting “visual investigations” along the border. He said he has asked Trudeau for a plan to secure the borders but that he came out of Trudeau’s Nov. 27 meeting with the premiers without a “clear answer.”
B.C. Premier David Eby raised concerns about harmful drugs like fentanyl coming from Mexico and China. He has said his province will work to secure the border and that he won’t hesitate to call back the provincial legislature to deal with the matter.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe agreed that the border needed to be secured and suggested that Ottawa place the CBSA and the Canadian Coast Guard under the authority of the military to help with this.
What the Opposition Leaders Have Said
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre holds a press conference in Ottawa on Dec. 1, 2024. The Canadian Press/Justin Tang
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently called for the federal government to expand the CBSA’s mandate and increase ground patrols at the border, telling reporters on Dec. 1 that Trudeau needs to “quickly present a Canada-first plan to Parliament.”
He added that the plan needed to involve working with provincial law enforcement, developing new technology, cracking down on illegal drug production and trafficking, tightening visas, and securing Canada’s ports.
While Parliament has been gridlocked for weeks because of a Tory privilege motion regarding a green-tech fund found to have misspent government money, Poilievre said the party would “make accommodations to quickly pass a border plan.”
When asked if the government would be tabling a plan before the legislature, Leblanc told CTV’s Power Play program that those details rest with Trudeau and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, who haven’t announced a plan so far.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh speaks to reporters in the foyer of the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Nov. 27, 2024. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh has called for Canada to “stand up and fight like hell” against the United States and its tariffs, telling Trudeau during question period on Nov. 27 that the government should establish a “war room.”
On Dec. 2, NDP MPs Brian Masse and Alistair MacGregor wrote a letter to the Customs and Immigration Union in which they expressed support for increased training for border officers, establishment of a new training facility in Windsor, and the hiring of 2,000 to 3,000 new border officers.
Trudeau held a meeting in his office on Dec. 3 with opposition party leaders to brief them on Ottawa’s border plan.
