Canada updates US travel after phone seizures, deportations

Miami Herald

a day ago

The border between the U.S. and Canada has traditionally been a pretty loose affair.
When I traveled between the two countries as a kid, on a bus for hockey exchange, you got detained only if some kid made a dumb comment to an immigration officer.
Even then the adults on board might simply be required to show identification before everyone is sent on their way.
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When we as adults were crossing the border to attend a number of hockey games, a border patrol officer asked us why we had a rather obscure hockey card on our dash. I explained that we were headed to Toronto, then Ottawa, and finally Montreal for games, and we were waved through without the need to even show our licenses.
It was a border designed to let people in because the U.S. and Canada were friends - two countries that got along really well and essentially operated as partners.
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That's no longer the case. President Donald Trump has stopped treating Canada as a special friend and has started to make Canadians feel unwelcome. Border crossings are no longer routine and Canada has shared a dire warning for its citizens who plan to visit the U.S.
Earlier this year Canada issued a warning to all Canadian citizens seeking to enter the U.S. That warning was revised and updated this June.
At its core, the update makes clear that crossing the border into the U.S. now comes with risk.
"Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders and the Government of Canada cannot intervene on your behalf if you do not meet entry or exit requirements for the United States," the Canadian government posted.
It then provided the more ominous parts of its warning.
"Individual border agents often have significant discretion in making those determinations," it added. "U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry requirements. Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities. If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation."
Canada also made clear that U.S. authorities could demand Canadians' electronic devices and that the country's citizens risk having them confiscated.
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"U.S. border agents are entitled to search your electronic devices, such as your phones, computers or tablets, when you are entering the United States," the Canadian government wrote. "They don't need to provide a reason when requesting a password to open your device."
If Canadians defy that demand, significant consequences could ensue.
"If you refuse, they may seize your device," the warning says. "The border agent could also delay your travel or deny entry if you are not a U.S. citizen. Before crossing the border, put your device in airplane mode to ensure remote files don't get downloaded accidentally."
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Canadian travel to the U.S. dropped by about a third in March, according to the CBC.
The reason for that is obvious, according to McGill University Political Science Prof. Arash Abizadeh.
"Why would we subject ourselves to this? We can say to ourselves, 'Well, I haven't done anything wrong,' but then you have to ask yourself questions like…'Have I said anything on social media that the current regime might find critical of them?'" he wrote.
Canadians have been denied entry due to social-media comments critical of U.S. policies.
These fears and warning are bad news for the cruise industry, which has always relied at least partly on Canadian customers. Given the fears of not being allowed across the border, it's easy to think that some Canadians would not be willing to book cruises because if they can't enter the U.S., they may lose their cruises without refunds.
That won't be a short-term problem for the industry since booking cycles tend to be around a year out, but it could easily be a problem in 2026 as Canadians opt to take their dollars elsewhere.
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