A man arrested in Surrey on Sunday after crossing the border in a stolen van has been deported to the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection confirmed Thursday that the 33-year-old suspect had been turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Tacoma.
US authorities say the man was wanted on an arrest warrant in King County, but have remained tight-lipped about the motive.
U.S. officials also said the man spoke through a Spanish interpreter and refused to answer questions without the assistance of an attorney.
Police are investigating whether the man’s motive was to enter Canada to seek asylum.
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Global News has also learned that a second man entered Canada illegally the same day in a stolen vehicle registered in Washington.
Vancouver police told Global News they attempted to stop the van, which was observed swerving and running stop signs, but fled.
Officers did not engage in a high-speed chase, police said, due to the danger to the public.
This suspect is still at large.
Immigration officials say the cases could be linked to new U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.
“As soon as Trump announces his plan to separate 11 million people from the United States, get ready, they are going to hit Canada,” said immigration lawyer Richard Kurland.
Len Saunders, an immigration attorney based in Blaine, Washington, said asylum seekers in the United States currently face wait times of up to 50 years.
That compares to expectations of four to five years in Canada, he said.
“So if someone does the math and sees that Canada is right compared to the United States, it makes sense to go north, especially when the new president is threatening to be deported,” he said. he declared.
Global News requested comment from the Canada Border Services Agency on its border security measures, but was told the agency needed more time to formulate a response.
— with files from Rumina Daya
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