Alberta considers ‘beefing up’ border security with drones and personnel
‘We’re prepared to put our resources that are under our control to service, and make sure that we’re protecting our part of the border, which borders Montana,’ says Premier Danielle Smith.
The Government of Alberta may allocate more resources to the Montana border in a bid to curb drugs and weapons trafficking.
At the province's ports of entry, officers with the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) seized 77 firearms and made 1,767 seizures of illegal narcotics, according to agency statistics.
Premier Danielle Smith told reporters Thursday her cabinet needs to be proactive, following the threat of tariffs by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Premier @ABDanielleSmith says premiers should "start hiring border patrols" to "guarantee" drugs and illegal migrants aren't crossing the border.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 28, 2024
"We need to address those issues," Smith says after Trump threatened Canada with tariffs over border security. pic.twitter.com/3yTYAomG7L
“We’re prepared to put our resources that are under our control to service, and make sure that we’re protecting our part of the border, which borders Montana,” Smith said.
That includes the potential deployment of the province’s existing specialized sheriff units, as well as creating an Alberta border patrol, and the use of drones.
The Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), meanwhile, says they lack the enforcement numbers to secure the border, prompting a call for more resources, reported the Epoch Times.
“The president-elect has mentioned that he’s concerned about illegal migrants coming into the United States, and he’s worried about the cross-border trade and drugs,” Smith acknowledged. “We’ve been concerned about those things too.”
“My first step is working with the other premiers to get Justin Trudeau to the table,” she said in an interview with CTV News.
If Canada does not curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking into America, a 25% tariff on all goods will be levied when Trump takes office.
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 26, 2024
MORE: https://t.co/4uzxXPimwt pic.twitter.com/xo1hUC3kie
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with Premier Smith and her fellow first ministers Thursday to share “collective concerns” and find solutions before the 25% tariffs enter into effect on January 20, 2025.
Three-quarters (76%) of Canada’s exports last year, worth $439.6 billion, went to the United States.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe urged prompt action to combat illegal drugs and migrants, calling for more border security.
A border influx has been observed for at least two weekends, following Trump’s historic win on November 5. Beforehand, the RCMP arrested as many as 100 migrants each week, with many heading “southbound.”
Premier Legault asked for a detailed plan from the Trudeau government on how that would transpire. Marc Miller, the Minister of Immigration, promised an undisclosed number of “measures” to enforce Canada’s immigration laws, but has yet to divulge any details.
Immigration Minister Marc Miller suggests Canada's border with the US was secure during the COVID pandemic, despite a record-breaking influx of migrants crossing at Roxham Road during that time.https://t.co/TXq29qiryW pic.twitter.com/vEFqEkixdD
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 13, 2024
Premier Smith clarified that policing the land near the border lies with the province, but did not discourage collaboration with its federal counterparts or Montana officials.
“I don’t think it’s unusual to have the Alberta government take an interest, through our various law enforcement mechanisms, to make sure that we’re addressing the illegal flows, whether it’s people or drugs across the border,” she told reporters.
“We do joint operations all the time. Of course, we’re going to reach out to our Montana counterparts and see how we can coordinate and share information.”
EXCLUSIVE: Premier Smith CONCERNED by Canada's illegal migrant problem
— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 29, 2024
In a Rebel News exclusive, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith (@ABDanielleSmith) discussed her take on President-elect Donald Trump's tariff threat.
FULL REPORT by @EzraLevant: https://t.co/tmZrVd1KSH
CTV asked Smith if she thought Trump had justification for the tariff threat, given illegal migration from Canada is minuscule compared to Mexico. “We've seen … people coming across [the border] up to 200,000 a year,” she replied. “Now that's significant.”
“And when you're talking about a drug crisis that is … also hitting the Americans, they want to stop that flow of drugs,” the premier continued. “We have to make sure that we're addressing the areas of China ‘using us as a backdoor to get into the United States’ and close those loopholes,” she added.
“We need to address those issues. We can't downplay them.”
Alex Dhaliwal
Calgary Based Journalist
Alex Dhaliwal is a Political Science graduate from the University of Calgary. He has actively written on relevant Canadian issues with several prominent interviews under his belt.
COMMENTS
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Bruce Atchison commented 2024-11-29 18:59:51 -0500I’m glad Danielle Smith is pro-border enforcement. She and the governor of Montana need to coordinate efforts to catch these lawbreakers. These people also must be punished.
