# U.S. gets tough on Canadian border   - AP article



## old medic (10 May 2009)

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-other-border10-2009may10,0,5784580.story?page=2


U.S. gets tough on Canadian border
Ian Martens / Associated Press

The administration says security should be as stringent as on the Mexican frontier. Border residents and Canadian officials disagree, saying the terrorism threat is exaggerated.
By Bob Drogin
May 10, 2009



> High above the rugged border, an unmanned Predator B drone equipped with night-vision cameras and cloud-piercing radar has scanned the landscape for signs of smugglers, illegal immigrants or terrorists.
> 
> Armed agents checked the identification of border crossers while radiation sensors and other devices monitored vehicles entering by road. Soon, a network of telescopic and infrared video cameras mounted atop 80-foot metal towers will rise above key locations.
> 
> ...


----------



## X-mo-1979 (26 May 2009)

Regardless of ignorant comments by our American allies I am very glad to see the crack down on this porous border.Maybe it will keep drugs like cocaine from flowing IN so easily.


----------



## zipperhead_cop (3 Jun 2009)

Their comments aren't ignorant, they are accurate.  Just because some people have poo poo feelings about the reality of the situation, that isn't a reason to lay off.  
And there are tonnes of drugs flowing out of Canada into the US, just as they send drugs and guns up here.  I'm thrilled that there are going to be Predators (Reavers would be better) keeping an eye out.


----------



## X-mo-1979 (3 Jun 2009)

I was referring to the 9/11 attackers.It is false.


----------



## The Bread Guy (5 Jun 2009)

To be fair, if AP reported this correctly, it appears she got the message on the 9-11 killers:


> U.S. Homeland Secretary Janet Napolitano wanted to make it clear to Canada on Wednesday that she knows she misspoke when she erroneously said that the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorists entered the United States through Canada.
> 
> Napolitano, on her first trip to Canada since joining President Barack Obama's Cabinet in January, was discussing security issues with Canadian Minister of Public Safety Peter Van Loan.
> 
> ...


More from the Associated Press here.


----------



## Old Sweat (5 Jun 2009)

I saw an interview on Power Play where she stated clearly that she knew that the 9-11 killers did not come from Canada. She also said that she realized she had made a serious mistake in not correcting herself during the CBC interview that led to the media frenzy.

That does very little to remove the misconception from the urban legend realm, I fear.


----------



## George Wallace (1 Dec 2010)

I guess it all depends on whether it is "North Bound Skunk" or "South Bound Skunk".

Reproduced under the Fair Dealings provisions of the Copyright Act.

Sympatico.ca News


*Refugee claimants entering Quebec from U.S.

*
30/11/2010 11:19:28 PM
CBC News 

LINK 

*A legal loophole has would-be refugees in the U.S. coming into Canada through the Quebec border, CBC News has learned.*

"Sometimes we get half a dozen of them on a shift, and then you're a week without getting any, said RCMP Sgt. Christian Dubois. "And then, all of a sudden, 'boom.'"

Dubois said since the new RCMP border patrol started, more than half of their time is being spent on would-be refugees.

RCMP Insp. Marc Lacasse said there have been 64 arrests in just two months along the 140 kilometres of the Quebec-Vermont border, representing a 400 per cent increase over the same time period last year.

With immigration laws tightening in the U.S., increasing numbers of people have simply given up on ever getting permanent residency. Spot checks by American authorities have them worried about being caught and deported.

Lacasse believes that people are taking advantage of a loophole created by a document signed between Canada and the U.S. called the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement.

Under the agreement, if a person that is already in the U.S. tries to move further north into Canada to claim refugee status, they will be turned back because both countries are considered safe. But the agreement only applies at organized crossings. Those determined to enter are now simply walking across through the bush.

"Our belief is there are organizations that are trying to use those areas to basically direct people to come over to Canada and gain refugee status," said Lacasse. "Contrary to a point of entry [where] they would be turned back."

Immigration lawyer David Cohen said that once a refugee gets away from an organized border crossing and enters Canada through the brush, Canada is obligated to process them.

"There's no surprise and in fact it was absolutely predictable ... and was predicted," he said

"People avoid the Canadian port of entry and somehow make their way into Canada and make the refugee claim," Cohen said.

It's difficult to stop would-be refugees because there are more unprotected roads leading to the Quebec border than that of any other province.

Border services has also confirmed it will close or reduce hours for at least five entry points in Quebec alone, potentially increasing the number of unguarded roads.


----------

