Canada is on track to nab the largest number of Mexican illegals at the border in a single year. The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) has already detained more illegals originating from Mexico in the first two months of the year than it did in 2016.
As of March 9, the CBSA had arrested 444 Mexicans at the border.
For all of 2016, border guards detained 410 Mexicans.
The largest number of illegals ever detained for an entire year came in 2012, when 667 “migrants” attempted to cross the border.
The increase may be a direct result of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s decision in December to lift its visa requirements for Mexican citizens. It might also be related to Trudeau’s decision to issue a blanket invitation to “refugees” around the world that they should come to Canada.
That invitation came in the form of a Tweet from the prime minister that many saw as a direct repudiation of President Donald Trump’s first temporary travel halt that came into affect that same weekend. Following Trudeau’s Twitter diplomacy, 70 Mexicans arrived at the border claiming to be “refugees.”
Conservative public safety critic Tony Clement recently told The Daily Caller that he believes the social media announcement has been interpreted around the world as government policy.
When the visa restriction was lifted, the Conservatives suggested the change would lead to more illegals arriving at the border claiming refugee status.
Conservative foreign affairs critic Peter Kent told CBC News, “We anticipated there would be, if not an immediate spike, a surge, and it seems that is what’s happening.”
Canadian Immigration and Refugee Minister Ahmed Hussen has refused to take any action and has not suggested how the Liberal government will view the refugee status of the illegals.
“It would be premature to draw conclusions or to speculate on future policy at this point,” Hussen’s spokeswoman, Camielle Edwards, told Reuters in an email Friday evening.
The CBSA is authorized to detain people who claim refugee status if border guards believe they pose a danger to the public.
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