Border tragedy warns of new, unfamiliar immigration wrinkle for Canada, U.S.

The discovery of four people who perished in the cold trying to cross the Canada-U.S. border could put a new twist on the immigration debate in the United States.

The group, which included an infant and a teen, were found Wednesday near Emerson, Man., just metres from the Canadian side.

U.S. officials allege they were part of a larger group of Indian migrants trying to cross into the U.S. from Canada.

Border expert Kathryn Bryk Friedman, a University at Buffalo law professor, calls it a troubling sign that the country's immigration challenges are getting worse.

Friedman says the discovery is likely a "warning shot" that more people are willing to put their lives on the line to enter the U.S., even on foot in the dead of winter.