What Canada Has Announced on Border Measures Following Trump’s Tariff Threat

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.
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.
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.
“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.
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.
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.”