Canadian Mounties Help Refugees Fleeing The US Because This Is What It’s Come To
Refugees facing deportation are sneaking across the border into Canada
On Friday, eight Sudanese refugees – four of whom were children – ran from a cab as it was being detained at the border and crossed into Canada. They had been living in Delaware for the last two years, but fled to Canada to claim asylum.
They’re part of a growing trend, wherein refugees who formerly sought asylum in the United States are now being forced to escape to our northern neighbors in the wake of the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
A story on Reuters, which includes many images of the refugees crossing the border, explains that the people crossed the border in Champlain, NY, where a U.S. Customs Official was questioning another passenger, who suddenly grabbed his passport back from the officer and successfully made a break across the border himself.
The group crossed a snow-covered gully into the company of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who then assisted them in loading their belongings – large suitcases, plastic bags, backpacks and a stroller – into vehicles as the U.S. official looked on. The refugees would then be transported to an office to be interviewed and make their claim for asylum.
“Nobody cares about us,” one man told reporters gathered at the Canadian border, where more and more refugees have been making their way in the aftermath of the United States’ aggressive new anti-immigration policy.
Canada seems to.
This is just one of many stories of people attempting to find safe haven in Canada now that the United States is changing course and prioritizing “America First!” The refugees are forced to sneak across into Canada before making their claim, because if they attempt to do it at a border station on the U.S. side, they’ll be turned away. So they run, through the snow, for a shot at the asylum they thought our country would provide.
And, which, until recently, often did.
We can’t believe it either. This is a dark time in our nation’s story, to say the least.
It’s a sad day when America, a country that so prides itself on being a melting pot, and a country whose most enduring symbol is an open invitation to the “poor, huddled masses yearning to be free,” suddenly closes its doors to those who need us most desperately for safety and security. This is not who we are.
Apparently the Statue of Liberty should add directions to Canada to its inscription.
