US Homeland Security cracking down on asylum seekers entering from Canada

The US Department of Homeland Security will now allow less time for those seeking asylum at the border with Canada to consult a lawyer before making their case.

The move comes after President Joe Biden announced changes to border policies aimed primarily at dealing with the crisis at the Mexican border.

The changes, however, will affect those crossing from Canada into the US as well.

Trudeau's hiding something about Roxham Road

We submitted an access to information request on March 27, seeking copies of all documents regarding discussions between Canada and the United States over the infamous Roxham Road border crossing and and/or the Safe Third Country… pic.twitter.com/hlNFgVvep5

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) March 20, 2024

Though the number of illegal immigrants crossing into the United States from Canada is minuscule in comparison to that of the southern border, the number is significant enough for some in the GOP to sound alarms.

The Department of Homeland Security said it reviewed the Safe Third Country agreement with Canada and determined that it could simplify the process without disallowing access to fair procedure.

Instead of quickly taking action to close the illegal entry point at Roxham Rd, which is seeing a surge in illegal immigration to Canada from the US, PM Trudeau insists renegotiating the Safe Third Country Agreement is the solution.https://t.co/IYTcHiw8DD pic.twitter.com/E47vVFhKWI

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) February 24, 2023

The procedural change now allows individuals entering the U.S. from Canada only four hours to consult with lawyers, a significant reduction from the previous 24-hour window, according to Kathleen Bush-Joseph, a policy analyst with the Migration Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

“This makes it incredibly difficult when you think about how legal service providers work,” she explained to the Canadian Press.

The change also means that border officers will only consider the documentary evidence that asylum claimants have with them at the time of arrival. Bush-Joseph noted that "people fleeing for their lives don’t tend to have their belongings with them, let alone reams of documentation of persecution."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Biden had updated the agreement to close a loophole that allowed individuals who avoided official border crossings to make asylum claims. While this did see a drop in the number of people crossing into Canada from the US at unofficial border points, the number of people travelling to the US from Canada has increased.

Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows that agents detained 12,612 individuals along the international border with Canada in the first six months of 2024. This sharp increase — up from 12,218 for the entirety of 2023 — has become a focal point for Republicans, as immigration and border security continue to be political challenges for Democrats.

🚨US Senators Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, Tom Cotton, and Josh Hawley have sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urging the U.S. to tighten security along the U.S.-Canada border due to concerns of Gaza refugees in Canada having ties to terrorist groups. pic.twitter.com/hopMpWihPT

— Harrison Faulkner (@Harry__Faulkner) July 24, 2024

This has captured the attention of senators like Florida’s Marco Rubio, who sent a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas last month calling on him to increase security along the US-Canada border.

“The possibility of terrorists crossing the U.S.-Canada border is deeply concerning given the deep penetration of Gazan society by Hamas,” Rubio wrote in the letter.