U.S.-Canada border as seen from Champlain, New York. Image for representational purposes only.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Ottawa:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday hit back at US President-elect Donald Trump’s threat to use “economic force” to absorb Canada into the United States, saying there is no possibility of merging countries.

“There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States,” Mr Trudeau wrote on X (formally Twitter).

“Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner,” he added.

There isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that Canada would become part of the United States.

Workers and communities in both our countries benefit from being each other’s biggest trading and security partner.

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) January 7, 2025

Canadian foreign minister also added to Prime Minister Trudeau’s remark, saying the country will “never back down” from threats by Donald Trump.

Foreign Minister Melanie Joly accused Trump of showing with his remarks “a complete lack of understanding” of Canada.

“Our economy is strong. Our people our strong. We will never back down in the face of threats,” she said on the social media platform owned by Trump ally Elon Musk.

Canada’s response came after incoming US president Trump said he was willing to use “economic force” to merge Canada and the United States, hours after the Canadian premier announced his resignation as the leader of the Liberal Party and prime minister.

Speaking at a press conference at Florida Mar-a Lago home, he said, “You get rid of that artificially drawn line, and you take a look at what that looks like, and it would also be much better for national security.”

“Canada and the United States, that would really be something,” Mr Trump added.

He also raised concerns about Canada’s military spending and said, “They have a very small military. They rely on our military. It’s all fine, but, you know, they got to pay for that. It’s very unfair.”

Asked if he would use military force to bring Canada to heel, the incoming president said “no, economic force.”

Since his election victory in November, Mr Trump has repeatedly needled Canada about it becoming the “51st US state”.

Previously, he has threatened to slap up to 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods unless the northern American country took substantial steps to increase security on the shared border and reduce drugs and illegal immigrants crossing into the US.

In response, the Trudeau government has promised to implement strict security measures along the US-Canada border but said it would consider imposing counter-tariffs if Mr Trump follows with his threats.

Canada and the US reportedly share a trillion-dollar trade relationship. According to the Canadian government’s data, nearly C$3.6bn ($2.5bn) worth of goods and services crossed the border daily in 2023.

Experts believe if Donald Trump follows through with his threat after taking office on January 20, it could hurt Canada’s economy significantly.

According to US Border Patrol data, over 14,000 Indians were arrested on the Canadian border in the year ending September 30, 2022, a staggering increase from previous years. An incident in 2022 underscores the need for effective immigration policies and increased awareness about the risks associated with illegal border crossings.

On a bitterly cold January night in 2022, Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishaliben, and their two young children embarked on a perilous journey to cross the US-Canada border, seeking a better life.

Their dreams, however, were cruelly cut short. The family of four succumbed to the freezing temperatures, their bodies found in a snowy field, a heartbreaking testament to the human cost of illegal immigration.

As per a report on AP, the Patels’ story began in Dingucha, a small village in western India’s Gujarat state. Like many others, they were lured by the promise of a brighter future in the West. The village, once thriving, now has blocks of vacant homes, as many residents have left in search of greener pastures. The Patel family, comprising schoolteachers Jagdish and Vaishaliben, and their children, Vihangi (11) and Dharmik (3), were driven by the desire for economic prosperity.

Their journey was facilitated by Harshkumar Patel, an experienced smuggler nicknamed “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, a driver recruited by Patel. The two men, accused of being part of a sophisticated human smuggling operation, are set to stand trial on charges related to human smuggling.

On the fateful night, the Patels, along with seven other Indian migrants, attempted to cross the border on foot, braving temperatures as low as -36°F (-38°C). The group, poorly equipped for the harsh conditions, became separated in the darkness. While seven survivors were eventually rescued, the Patel family perished, their bodies discovered the next morning.

The incident highlights the growing issue of illegal immigration from India, driven by economic aspirations and facilitated by smuggling networks.

Experts point to a combination of factors contributing to this trend, including political repression, a dysfunctional US immigration system, and economic inequality.

Satveer Chaudhary, a Minneapolis-based immigration attorney, notes that smugglers often target vulnerable individuals, charging exorbitant fees and exploiting their desperation.

As the trial of Patel and Shand begins, the focus shifts to the human cost of illegal immigration. The Patel family’s tragic fate serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers and uncertainties faced by those seeking a better life.

Hemant Shah, an Indian-born businessman who organized a virtual prayer service for the Patels, lamented the greed that drove the smuggling operation, stating, “There was no humanity.”

Donald Trump is poised to make a significant impact on immigration policies from day one of his presidency, with plans to unleash a flurry of executive actions aimed at bolstering immigration enforcement and dismantling key Biden-era legal entry programs. This sweeping effort will be spearheaded by Tom Homan, Trump’s newly appointed “border czar,” alongside other prominent Republican immigration hardliners.

As the global community grapples with the complexities of migration, the memory of the Patel family serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating consequences of desperation and exploitation.
 

Illegal immigration from Canada to the United States has seen a sharp rise among people of Indian origin, US border patrol data shows.

While the pipeline of illegal immigration from India has existed for a long time, it has increased significantly in the last few years, reports American news agency Associated Press.

According to the US border patrol data cited in the report, more than 14,000 Indians have been arrested along the US-Canada border in the year ending September 30 – a staggering 10-fold rise in just two years. The arrests of persons of Indian origin amounted to 60 per cent of all arrests along the US-Canada border.

According to data revealed by the Pew Research Center, it is estimated that by 2022, there were already more than 725,000 Indians living illegally in the US –  behind only Mexicans and El Salvadorans.

While greater research and analysis is required to understand why there is such a surge in illegal immigration from Canada to the US, it is understood that a combination of factors contribute to this, including political repression, a rise in Khalistan extremism in Canada which target Indians, a dysfunctional US immigration system, extremely long waits for visas and permits under the existing legal immigration system, and economic inequality.

But there is also a human rights angle – An incident in 2022 underscores the urgent need for effective immigration policies and increased awareness about the risks associated with illegal border crossings.

On a bitterly cold January night in 2022, Jagdish Patel, his wife Vaishaliben, and their two young children embarked on a perilous journey to cross the US-Canada border, seeking a better life.

Their dreams, however, were cruelly cut short. The family of four succumbed to the freezing temperatures, their bodies found in a snowy field, a heartbreaking testament to the human cost of illegal immigration.

The Patels’ story began in Dingucha, a small village in western India’s Gujarat state. Like many others, they were lured by the promise of a brighter future in the West. The village, once thriving, now has blocks of vacant homes, as many residents have left in search of greener pastures. The Patel family, comprising schoolteachers Jagdish and Vaishaliben, and their children, Vihangi (11) and Dharmik (3), were driven by the desire for economic prosperity.

Their journey was facilitated by Harshkumar Patel, an experienced smuggler nicknamed “Dirty Harry,” and Steve Shand, a driver recruited by Patel. The two men, accused of being part of a sophisticated human smuggling operation, are set to stand trial on charges related to human smuggling.

On the fateful night, the Patels, along with seven other Indian migrants, attempted to cross the border on foot, braving temperatures as low as -36 degrees F (-38 degrees Celsius). The group, poorly equipped for the harsh conditions, became separated in the darkness. While seven survivors were eventually rescued, the Patel family perished, their bodies discovered the next morning.

The incident highlights the growing issue of illegal immigration from India, driven by economic aspirations and facilitated by smuggling networks.

Satveer Chaudhary, a Minneapolis-based immigration attorney, notes that smugglers often target vulnerable individuals, charging exorbitant fees and exploiting their desperation.

As the trial of Patel and Shand begins, the focus shifts to the human cost of illegal immigration. The Patel family’s tragic fate serves as a poignant reminder of the dangers and uncertainties faced by those seeking a better life.

Hemant Shah, an Indian-born businessman who organized a virtual prayer service for the Patels, lamented the greed that drove the smuggling operation, stating, “There was no humanity.”

Donald Trump is poised to make a significant impact on immigration policies from day one of his presidency, with plans to unleash a flurry of executive actions aimed at bolstering immigration enforcement and dismantling key Biden-era legal entry programs. This sweeping effort will be spearheaded by Tom Homan, Trump’s newly appointed “border czar,” alongside other prominent Republican immigration hardliners.

As the global community grapples with the complexities of migration, the memory of the Patel family serves as a heartbreaking reminder of the devastating consequences of desperation and exploitation.