Canada Curbed Illegal Migration to the U.S. Now People Are Heading to Canada.

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Until recently, the border had been described by both nations as “unguarded,” a testament to their close friendship.

But with the return of President Trump to the White House, it has become a flashpoint in the relationship between the two neighbors.

Even before his inauguration, Mr. Trump accused Canada of allowing large numbers of unauthorized migrants to enter the United States. He has made stopping that movement a key demand as he threatens to impose crippling tariffs on Canadian exports to the United States.

After a one-month reprieve, Mr. Trump says those tariffs will now go into effect on Tuesday.

Canada has mobilized. It has deployed more staff and equipment along the border and tightened visa rules that critics say made Canada a steppingstone to enter the United States illegally.

The number of illegal crossings into the United States from Canada was relatively low to begin with, and has now plummeted, indicating that Canada’s response to Mr. Trump’s pressure is working.

But now a new dynamic is emerging at the border: Asylum seekers are fleeing north to Canada as Mr. Trump has embarked on his plan for sweeping deportations.

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The number of people apprehended last year crossing from Canada into the United States illegally was nearly 24,000. {snip}

Canada has directed 1.3 billion Canadian dollars ($900 million) to enhance border security, adding two Black Hawk helicopters and 60 drones equipped with thermal cameras.

It also tightened requirements for temporary visas that some visitors used to arrive in Canada legally but then enter the United States illegally.

The Canadian government says its recent measures have driven down the number of unauthorized crossings into the United States: About 600 migrants were intercepted at the border in January, down from about 900 in January 2024, according to U.S. data.

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The Canadian authorities say they have been intercepting more people arriving from the United States, but because of the schedule Canada follows in releasing data, no numbers are yet available for the weeks since Mr. Trump’s inauguration in January. But government news releases suggest the numbers are rising.

In Alberta, preliminary calculations show that up to 20 people have been apprehended crossing illegally so far this year, including children as young as 2.

By contrast, only seven people were apprehended crossing the border illegally in Alberta in all of 2024.

Of the nine migrants found in Alberta on Feb. 3, seven, including three children ages 13, 10 and 7, were Venezuelans, the R.C.M.P. told The New York Times. The two others were children, 7 and 5 years old, from Colombia.

Staff Sergeant Harrison, who has worked at the border for two years, said,“It’s the first time I’ve seen Venezuelans here.”

Venezuelans fleeing the oppressive government of President Nicolás Maduro have been offered protection across the world. Nearly eight million have fled in the past decade, according to the United Nations, an extraordinary number for a nation not at war.

Under the Biden administration, 600,000 Venezuelans already living in the United States were granted temporary protection and allowed to live and work in the country. More were able to stay under smaller programs.

The Trump administration has ended all protections for Venezuelans, and most programs will expire in the coming months.

The removal of Venezuelans has emerged as a priority in Mr. Trump’s deportation push. Venezuelans described as criminals have been sent to the U.S. facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, while others have been deported back to Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government has recently begun arresting not just political activists, but also bystanders at protests, and it’s unclear how it will treat returned migrants.

As a result, Canada has a policy of not deporting Venezuelans.

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