An American immigration lawyer says that he has never seen any Additional checkpoint at the BC-US border For travelers who return to Canada.
Over the past four days, the American border guards have stopped random vehicles to search for them.
Global News saw the agents climb inside a van with the search for approximately two minutes.
Customs and American border protection told Global News in a press release that these checks are “routine inspections, a tool to understand undesirable individuals and smuggling”.
Not all vehicles are arrested and verified, but border protection said that it could not respond if the choices are made at random because this information is sensitive to the police.
“I want to know what has changed,” said lawyer Len Saunders.
“I do this, practicing immigration law in Blaine for almost a quarter of a century. I have never seen them do this. I want to (to) know why. I don’t want rhetoric, a blah-blah answer. “
The additional checkpoint occurs while the number of Canadians heading to the United States continues to drop.
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Just under 100,000 vehicles with British Columbia plates traveled in the south in April, which represents less than half of the same time last year.
This also has an impact on American companies.
“Do I understand it? Yes, that’s for sure,” said the restaurateur based in Seattle, Ethan Stowell.
“I think there are tensions where there is generally no tension. And it will embarrass things. ”
Seattle companies are launching a campaign to encourage Canadians to descend.
This Friday and Saturday, to coincide with the Blue Jays Game, some restaurants, hotels and even the space needle offer a 30%discount, which effectively put the Canadian dollar equally with the United States
“Not only said to our Canadian friends that we are open to business, but our doors are open to them, but that we appreciate them,” said Lodge hotel director at St. Edward Park, Corey Roettgers.
“We hear them and we understand what they are going through.”
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