Got pulled over in michigan, and friend of mine got arrested on warrant from canada, help!

[quincy]

That seems odd to me. I can understand the actual smuggling itself being a big problem on the border (though I'd guess the border with Mexico sees far more drug smuggling). But I wouldn't think there are nearly as many people with drug smuggling convictions trying to enter Canada as there are people with DUI convictions.

I didn’t say there was “more” drug smuggling than DUI convictions. I said drug smugglers were causing the most problems at the northern border. There have been massive amounts of cocaine and methamphetamines seized at the Ambassador Bridge crossing. So far, and fortunately for Michigan, fentanyl is mostly entering the U.S. at southern border crossings.

Drug smuggling on the northern border of the U.S. does not get as much attention as southern border activities but it is a major problem. Those with DUIs aren’t as problematic. They are easily flagged.

 

[Bali Hai Again]

Canada didn’t have a problem with U.S. Federal felons immigrating to their country in the 60’s / 70’s. Things must have changed since then.

 

[quincy]

Canada didn’t have a problem with U.S. Federal felons immigrating to their country in the 60’s / 70’s. Things must have changed since then.

A lot has changed since the 9/11 attacks.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Things must have changed since then.

Among other things, today the U.S. and Canada exchange information via the internet. That wasn't feasible in the 1960s and 1970s. The criminal records were paper files or isolated computer systems not shared instantaneously with with other U.S. agencies, let alone foreign governments. Canada didn't know if most of those crossing the border were felons (whether federal or state) until well after they entered.

 

[quincy]

The Customs Computer Center actually went online in 1966 but information-sharing with Canada stepped up after September 11, 2001, with the formation of the Terrorism Response Task Force, the Office for Anti-Terrorism and the Federal Air Marshal Program, followed by the creation of DHS in 2002 and the Border Safety Initiative and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in March 2003.

Between 1965 and 1975, many U.S. citizens who objected to the war in Vietnam and to avoid being drafted into service sought political asylum in Canada. President Carter granted all of the draft dodgers pardons on January 21, 1977, the day after his inauguration.

 

[Taxing Matters]

Simply being a draft dodger didn't make a person a convicted felon, though, so that would not have showed up on the information exchange with Canada. The dodger would have had to be convicted at trial or pled guilty to the crime for that occur. Only about 8,750 people met that fate, a very small percentage of draft dodgers during the Vietnam war. I don't know if any of those convicted persons tried to go to Canada after conviction (which would have been to late for them to achieve their goal anyway) and if they did, whether Canada turned them away. Canada might not have cared about draft dodging because that is not a crime an American could commit in Canada. A thief, DUI driver, person convicted of a violent offense, etc would be more of a concern to Canada.

Today is a very different world from 1975. Condemning Canada simply because its immigration policy is different today than in the 60s and 70s overlooks that very different state of the world. Most western democracies have much more rigorous rules for screening and rejecting persons attempting to enter today than they did in 1975 because they are experiencing many more potential threats trying to cross the border today than half a century ago. The ramp up in the information sharing between the two nations after 9/11 is a sign of that increased threat. I don't fault Canada for its policy regarding admitting Americans either then or today. Americans don't have an inherent right to visit any other nation (though some Americans act like they do), just as foreign persons wishing to enter the U.S. don't have such a right to enter this country. Each nation has the right to choose its border admittance policy notwithstanding the objections other nations might have.

 

[quincy]

I don’t think anyone was condemning Canada for anything, just noting the difference between border crossings in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and now. There is definitely more careful screening of travelers, in all areas of the world.