U.S. immigration crackdown fuels interest in Canada as asylum numbers rise

 

Many people living south of the border are uncertain about their future as a result of the ongoing immigration crackdown, leading some to look north to Canada for options. Tensions between residents and the United States are seen to be rising in Minneapolis and other American cities. Immigration lawyers assert that calls from individuals seeking to leave the United States are being driven by scenes of ICE officers.

According to immigration and refugee lawyer Alastair Clarke, "I get calls almost every day from people in the United States who are looking to move to Canada," the majority of inquiries are coming from Minnesota and Venezuelans living in the United States.

According to Jessica Jensen, who practices immigration law in both countries, her firm has also received an increase in inquiries regarding legal entry into Canada. She stated that migrants' uncertainty has increased as a result of recent U.S. policy changes, such as the end of temporary protected status for migrants from Somalia, Haiti, and Venezuela.

Jensen stated, "So that means they either need to leave the United States or find an alternative option to stay there." According to the Canadian Council for Refugees, the humanitarian situation south of the border has rapidly deteriorated, and many refugees and migrants are in "enormous danger" of being apprehended and deported in the United States. Canada's relatively immigration-friendly government is not immune to tightening public sentiment or policy shifts, according to Clarke, despite the fact that unrest in the United States may seem distant to Canadians. More than 34,000 asylum applications were submitted in Canada in 2025, according to the Canada Border Services Agency. Haiti, the United States, and Venezuela were the most popular citizenship countries for claimants.