More border enforcement resources coming before Trump’s inauguration: LeBlanc

Canada’s public safety minister says the federal government shares Trump’s concerns about drug trafficking, irregular migration across the Canada-U.S. border.

Ottawa “shares” Donald Trump’s concerns about the flow of irregular migrants and illegal drugs across the world’s largest undefended border, Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Tuesday, promising Canada will commit more personnel and equipment for border security before the president-elect’s inauguration on Jan. 20.

“There will be additional resources, both human and equipment. We’ve said that consistently,” LeBlanc told a House of Commons committee Tuesday morning.

“We will be making announcements in terms of procurement and personnel before that date. We are finalizing that as a government now based on the advice we received, the good advice from the RCMP and from the border services agency.”

“I understand it’s exciting and Canadians want to understand it, (but) the good news is it’s coming,” LeBlanc added.

Trump has threatened to slap a 25-per cent tariff on all goods entering the U.S. from Canada and Mexico until he’s satisfied with those countries’ efforts to address his border security concerns.

While those tariffs would be devastating to the Canadian economy, they would also significantly drive up the cost of goods for American citizens. Canada and the U.S. are each other’s largest trading partners, according to the federal government, with roughly $3.6 billion worth of goods crossing the border each day in 2023.

The tariffs would also jeopardize U.S. energy security. According to the U.S., Canadian exports of crude oil reached a record of 4.3 million barrels per day crossing the 49th parallel last July.

But the president-elect has signaled to the world that he’s ready to risk economic pain — both domestically and abroad — unless countries accede to his demands.