By Canadian Press

Quebec ready to deploy 300 officers at border if illegal crossings into U.S. rise

Jan 14, 2025 | 9:25 AM

QUÉBEC — The Quebec government says it is worried about migrants crossing illegally into the United States from Canada, and is calling on the RCMP to deploy the necessary resources at the border.

François Bonnardel, Quebec’s public security minister, made the comments today in the provincial capital, one week before the inauguration of Donald Trump as U.S. president.

For weeks, Trump has threatened to impose tariffs on Canada’s exports if the federal government doesn’t improve border security.

Bonnardel says the area of concern is the Swanton sector, which covers the border region touching parts of Quebec, Ontario and U.S. states including Vermont and New York.

He says of the 26,000 illegal crossings from Canada into the United States reported in 2024, 19,000 were in the Swanton region.

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Bonnardel says there are currently 800 federal and provincial officers operating in the Swanton sector, adding that Quebec is ready to deploy 300 additional provincial police officers within 48 hours if there’s a marked rise in illegal crossings.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 14, 2025.

The Canadian Press