Trump’s stronger stance on border security leads to trouble for Canadians driving into the U.S. 

One immigration lawyer says there are more reports of Canadians being detained at the border or green card holders being put in deportation centres since the United States Trump administration’s enforcement-oriented policies went into effect.

Lawyer Len Saunders, based in Blaine, Wash., says these accounts are likely making Canadians uneasy, as there has been noticeably less traffic heading south of the border in the last few weeks.

“It seems like the pendulum has swung a lot from low enforcement under the Biden administration to almost going on steroids here for the Trump administration,” Saunders told 1130 NewsRadio.

He thinks this could become a trend for the next four years, and we’re only two months into the Trump administration.

“You hear story after story. You hear about the students who are being put in detention and deported on student visas. You’re hearing about all of these detentions, whether it’s British citizens, Canadian citizens, so yes, you’re hearing more,” Saunders explained.

It’s not uncommon for border officials to search your phone. However, Saunders suggests that moving forward, people should double-check what’s on their device if they plan on driving across the border.

“Your average Canadian is not a terrorist or up to no good, but a lot of people may not support Trump. They may have that on their social media, and they may be concerned. I don’t think you’ll get denied entry because of that,” he said.

“It’s sad to say, but be very careful, as a Canadian citizen and in the United States, if there’s anything on social media or your cell phone that you think would be harmful to your entry.”

He thinks some of the experiences being shared online, including the case of Jasmine Mooney who was detained for two weeks while applying for a work permit at the U.S./Mexico border, are causing Canadians to have second thoughts on their travel plans for the U.S in the future.

He suggests flying from Canada into the U.S. rather than driving if you’re concerned about your entry.

“You can ask to leave right away. When you go through U.S. immigration, there’s always an RCMP officer always who’s sitting there. So, if you feel uncomfortable or want to leave Vancouver airport, at U.S. Customs, you can leave at any point.”