Canada wanted to ‘cooperate’ on illegal immigration. Trump chose tariffs
Global News
Newly released documents show Canada favoured 'cooperation' with the second Trump administration on 'common challenges' related to illegal immigration, before the U.S. tariffs.
Newly released documents show that in the days following the U.S. election, Canada favoured “cooperation” with the second Trump administration on “common challenges” related to illegal immigration before the U.S. threatened sweeping tariffs.
But following his victory, it appeared U.S. President Donald Trump had little interest in collaboration, choosing instead to publicly attack the U.S.’s closest ally and threaten its northern neighbour with economic collapse.
Briefing notes, obtained by Global News, through access to information laws, show Ottawa’s position on illegal immigration right after Trump’s Nov. 5 election win was “rooted in cooperating with like-minded partners, particularly the U.S. through agreements … to enforce border laws and share information to detect threats early and ensure coordinated responses.”
Fen Hampson, a Carleton University professor and president of the World Refugee and Migration Council, said Canadian and American border security has been “tightly integrated” since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and that Trump is trying to “create his own political narrative” by stating, inaccurately, the challenges on the northern and southern borders are the same.
The documents are dated Nov. 13 and Nov. 15, just days after the U.S. election on Nov. 5 and roughly a week before the then-incoming U.S. president fired the first volley in his trade war against Canada with a post on Truth Social.
“I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” wrote Trump on Nov. 25.
Since then, it’s been a chaotic four months, with repeated threats, shifting deadlines, and last-minute concessions.
On April 2 — a day Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” — Canada avoided further “reciprocal” tariffs that Trump is imposing on countries around the world.
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