Canada on alert, fears massive invasion of migrants

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At 5,525 miles, it is the longest border between any two countries. And that border — separating the United States and Canada — seems set to become a flashpoint between the close allies as President-elect Donald J. Trump prepares to take power.

The Canadian authorities fear that Mr. Trump’s promised mass deportations will push migrants north, while allies of the incoming president headed for key roles in his administration have raised alarms over a recent spike in undocumented migrants crossing from Canada to the United States.

Canadian officials are drawing up plans to add patrols, buy new vehicles and set up emergency reception facilities at the border between New York State and the province of Quebec to prepare for what they expect to be a surge in migrants because of Mr. Trump’s hard line on deportations.

The northern border is also a focus of people named to top positions in the Trump administration, including his new border czar, Tom Homan. He has described the border as a major security vulnerability because of what he described as insufficient checks on people entering the United States.

Concerns over the northern border highlight a key shift in Canada’s view of migration between the first and second Trump administrations. During the first, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada made clear that asylum seekers were welcome in Canada just as Mr. Trump was tightening asylum rules and introducing policies like family separation at the U.S. southern border.

“To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith. Diversity is our strength #WelcomeToCanada,” Mr. Trudeau posted on social media at the time.

Today, the mood in Canada is very different. Many Canadians believe the arrival of more legal migrants since the end of the pandemic has strained resources such as housing, and have blamed Mr. Trudeau’s government, which is now taking steps to significantly limit legal immigration.

Mr. Trump, for his part, has become more aggressive on immigration, making clear that he intends to crack down and deport millions of undocumented migrants. His allies have criticized Canada for not controlling the northern border, where arrivals of undocumented migrants into the United States hit a record high this summer.