The Decibel What’s going on with the detentions at the Canada-U.S. border?
May 6, 2025
Sara Mojtehedzadeh, an investigative reporter with The Globe, delves into the recent surge in detentions at the Canada-U.S. border. She discusses harrowing stories of families, including a Guatemalan mother facing dire choices. The conversation highlights the implications of Trump’s immigration policies and their impact on asylum seekers. Mojtehedzadeh also examines the Safe Third Country Agreement, emphasizing the complex dynamics for those seeking refuge and the urgent need for legal representation amid shifting political landscapes.
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Detained Family's Wrong Turn
- A Guatemalan mother in Detroit accidentally drove to Canada and got detained with her two U.S. citizen kids by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
- She was held for almost a week in poor conditions and now faces deportation with a removal hearing scheduled for June.
Policy Shift Increases Border Detentions
- Detentions at the Canada-U.S. border reflect a Trump administration policy shift towards detention and deportation.
- Immigration detention duration can be prolonged when families refuse to be separated from citizen children.
Accidental Crossings Cause Detentions
- Many detainees at the Detroit-Windsor crossing are accidental border crossers, not intentional asylum seekers.
- The detention facilities are ill-equipped for prolonged holding and lack transparency and legal support access.