The Canada-U.S. border has become a major issue since President Donald Trump was sworn in.
Trump claims the RCMP is not doing enough to keep it secure, so Noovo Info reporter Marie-Michelle Lauzon spent time patrolling with officials on both sides of the border.
She spoke with U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents as they were taking migrants into a correctional centre in Vermont.
“They’ve been processed administratively,” said patrol agent Bryan Dyke. “They’re going to be turned over to ICE, and in the meantime, we turn them to the jail over there.”
North of the border, RCMP agents said the situation is not as busy as expected.
“We can have days and we are fairly busy with multiple people who cross illegally into Canada, but for the most part for the last six months has been pretty slow,” said RCMP corporal Samuel Perreault-Magny.
In 2024, Dyke said around 21,000 migrants were caught crossing illegally into the U.S., while the RCMP would not say how many people it stopped because it would impact operations.
U.S. officials were more open to explain and show work in addition to giving statistics, images and videos.
The two border agencies say they communicate every day and use similar tactics and equipment.
Both stayed away from politics while speaking with Noovo Info.
“We have a really good partnership with them on both side of the border,” said Perreault-Magny.
“Policies that change here and there will affect us, I’m not going to lie about that, but we’re pros,” said Dyke. “We’re used to that.”
In Vermont, as the weather is getting warmer, Dyke said there have been more crossings, and they expect more to come on both sides of the border.
With reporting from Noovo Info journalist Marie-Michelle Lauzon.
