Trump’s victory wasn’t just a mood-killer for Kamala and Doug—it threw a wrench into the plans of countless migrants hoping for another open-border stretch. With Trump heading back to the White House, the message couldn’t be clearer: the border just got a lot less welcoming.
The word quickly spread, and the fallout was immediate. Many of those in the migrant caravan, which had recently set out from southern Mexico with about 3,000 people aiming for “better opportunities” in the U.S., decided it might be time to turn around. Trump’s win dashed their hopes and made the reality of deportation a lot more probable than a fresh start. So, many have begun to abandon the trek altogether, realizing that a Trump-led U.S. isn’t exactly rolling out the welcome mat.
And then there’s Canada. The last time the threat of deportations ramped up, a few thousand migrants managed to trickle across the border into Canada. This wasn’t much compared to the overall numbers, but it was enough to cause a logistical headache up north. Now, as Trump’s new term approaches, Canada’s law enforcement and border patrol agencies are already bracing for another wave, wary of the likely uptick in asylum-seekers looking to flee Trump’s more restrictive immigration policies.
Canadian police, particularly those in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), have been quietly preparing contingency plans for months, expecting that Trump’s return could drive another wave of migrants their way. According to RCMP sources, they’re preparing for a “worst-case scenario” where hundreds of people could attempt crossings daily. If they’re flooded with 100 people or more each day, police resources would be stretched thin, as officers try to cover expansive and remote areas of the border.
Of course, there’s a simple fix to Canada’s border worries: stop offering asylum to anyone who wanders across. But that’s a political move that requires a different government up north. For now, Canadian authorities remain on high alert, with plans to deploy additional resources, from officers and cruisers to buses and temporary shelters, to handle what could be an incoming wave. Canadian police say they’ll likely stay in this heightened state of vigilance for the foreseeable future—perhaps for the next four years.
