The Quebec government says it is worried about migrants crossing illegally into the United States from Canada, and is calling on the RCMP to deploy the necessary resources at the border.
François Bonnardel, Quebec’s public security minister, made the comments today in the provincial capital, one week before the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president.
Get breaking National news
For weeks, Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canada’s exports if the federal government doesn’t improve border security.
Bonnardel says the area of concern is the Swanton sector, which covers the border region touching parts of Quebec, Ontario and U.S. states including Vermont and New York.
- 11 charged in connection with events leading up to fatal police shooting of teen Nooran Rezayi
- N.B. seafood company reaches $225M deal to acquire salmon farming operations
- $87B Quebec plan aims for 77% of energy consumed in province by 2050 from renewables
- Evacuation order remains in place as glacial lake bursts near Pemberton
He says of the 26,000 illegal crossings from Canada into the United States reported in 2024, 19,000 were in the Swanton region.
Bonnardel says there are currently 800 federal and provincial officers operating in the Swanton sector, adding that Quebec is ready to deploy 300 additional provincial police officers within 48 hours if there’s a marked rise in illegal crossings.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.