U.S. election: How would Harris, Trump immigration plans impact Canada?

While the economy has been identified as a top concern among American voters, immigration is not far behind, with more people saying they want a clampdown at the borders.

The close U.S. presidential election between Vice-President Kamala Harris and Donald Trump could be decided on the issue of immigration, and either result will have implications for Canada.

While the economy has been identified as a top concern among American voters, immigration is not far behind, with more people saying they want a clampdown at the borders.

Polling by Gallup has found a majority of Americans want immigration levels decreased. The number saying so — 55 per cent — is the highest since 2002. Although 64 per cent say immigration is an overall good thing for the country, that figure is the lowest in 10 years.

Trump has based much of his campaign around tackling unauthorized or “illegal” immigration, with policy proposals including mass deportations and other severe crackdowns. Although Harris is supportive of immigration overall, she has called for more conservative policies compared to past Democratic platforms — in line with other countries, including Canada, that have begun imposing limits on entries.

Canada will reduce the number of new permanent residents to the country by 21 per cent by next year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced last week.

“The conversation around immigration used to be not too long ago, whether you were Republican or Democrat … that there was a problem, but also that immigrants were part of the solution,” said Erin Corcoran, a professor at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana who studies immigration policy.

“That’s changed a lot.”

Here’s how the two candidates’ immigration platforms compare, and what the impact on Canada could be.