New Powers for US Border Agents
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor
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Dear friends and supporters,
It's time to sound the alarm bells over a new proposed piece of legislation.
If Bill C-23 becomes law, US border guards are about to be granted sweeping new powers on Canadian soil.
If you’ve ever had to clear US customs in a Canadian airport prior to boarding your flight, you can thank the 1974 Preclearance Act.
Generally, preclearance makes traveling easier, but Bill C-23 seeks to expand preclearance areas and the powers of US border agents within those areas.
The new and expanded powers that US border guards will have under this law and the lack of recourse for travelers whose rights are violated has left us with cause for great concern.
That's why the BCCLA has been trying to prevent these dangerous changes from becoming law. In June, BCCLA Staff Counsel Meghan McDermott and I presented to Parliament on C-23.
So far, we’ve convinced Parliament to change parts of C-23, but not enough.
Among the changes we’re most worried about, Bill C-23:
- Violates the rights of travelers to withdraw from a preclearance area if they choose. Currently, a person can leave a preclearance area at any time. If Bill C-23 becomes law, US border officials will be able to question someone who chooses to withdraw. We say this change enables US officials to detain people who should be free to leave.
- Allows US officers to conduct strip searches of Canadians. We say that US officers should never have the authority to strip search Canadians on Canadian soil.
We've made submissions to Parliament, and soon we will need you to take action, but in the meantime, r15 |r0
