security – Culture and the Canada-US Border

The return of fear on the U.S.-Canada border | Macleans.ca

Not since the terrorist attacks of September 2001 have ordinary people been as concerned about the risk of a terrorist attack inside the United States. Since Islamic State militants began seizing swaths of Iraq and Syria and beheading Western hostages, nearly half of Americans now believe their country is less safe today than before the 9/11 attacks, according to a recent NBC poll. That’s almost double the number from just one year ago.

Citing the potential for jihadists with Western passports to enter undetected into the U.S., some Washington politicians sound downright panicked. “This is a turning point in the war on terror,” South Carolina Sen.Lindsay Graham told Fox News. He called on President Barack Obama to deploy thousands of ground troops to Iraq, “before we all get killed back here at home.”

“They intend to kill us. And if we don’t destroy them first, we’re going to pay the price,” said House Speaker John Boehner this Sunday. Obama’s own secretary of defence, Chuck Hagel, has called the Islamic State group “an imminent threat to every interest we have.” John Allen, a retired four-star Marine Corps General who formerly led the war effort in Afghanistan, declared it “a clear and present danger.”

Fears were heightened when the Iraqi president, Haider al-Abadi, said on Sept. 25 that there was credible evidence of a plot by Islamic State to attack subways in New York. Police presence was beefed up in stations and Mayor Bill de Blasio rode the trains to reassure the public. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence agencies said they had no indication of such a threat.

Whenever Americans get scared, Canadians brace for economic repercussions. The attacks of 9/11 led to security policies that critics say resulted in a “thickening” of the border that hampers commerce and trade. In the 13 years since, enormous government and corporate efforts have gone into trying to roll back, or make more efficient, the resulting wave of new security procedures in the name of keeping commerce alive. But many of the steps are permanent: from arming Canadian customs officers to a requirement that all travellers carry a passport in order to cross the international line. The border is now once again in the political crosshairs. “There is a great concern that our southern border, and our northern border, is porous and that [terrorists] will be coming across,” said Sen. John McCain this month.

Full story: The return of fear on the U.S.-Canada border – Macleans.ca.

Workshop: Security, Immigration, and the Cultures of the Canada-US Border

REGISTRATION OPEN | Security, Immigration, and the Cultures of the Canada-US Border:

Saturday May 31^st, Niagara Falls.

The “Culture and the Canada-US Border” (CCUSB) research network are pleased to announce a second one-day workshop, on the theme of border security and immigration, to take place on Saturday May 31st 2014, at the Sheraton at the Falls Hotel, Niagara Falls, NY.

The event, hosted in conjunction with the University of Buffalo, will feature presentations from Emmanuel Brunet-Jailly (University of Victoria), Emily Gilbert (University of Toronto), Geoffrey Hale (University of Lethbridge), and Christopher Sands (Hudson Institute).

The workshop is free to attend, and if you require accommodation, you can book a room at the Sheraton at the Falls Hotel, with group rates available until April 23^rd. Please see our website for full details, and to register for the event:

http://www.kent.ac.uk/ccusb/events/niagara

Note: a small amount of travel assistance funding, awarded on a first-come first-served basis, is available for graduate students wishing to attend the event. Please contact Catherine Barter for more information (cjb61@kent.ac.uk).

This event is part of a series of workshops and conferences organised by CCUSB, and will be followed in June by an international conference at the University of Nottingham. CCUSB is a Leverhulme Trust funded network, bringing together scholars in Europe and North America with research interests in cultural issues around the Canada-US Border. To learn more about the network and its activities, visit: http://www.kent.ac.uk/ccusb

With any further queries, contact CCUSBorder@kent.ac.uk. We hope to see you there!

Canadian border ‘most likely entry point’ for terrorists, U.S. Congress hears | Ottawa Citizen

By Ian MACLEOD, Ottawa Citizen November 22, 2013

OTTAWA — Canada represents the greatest threat from terrorists trying to enter the United States, a top U.S. border agent told congressional lawmakers this week.

“As far as I am aware, all recent threat assessments have pointed to the northern border as the most likely point of entry into our country for terrorists,” Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, told a House of Representatives’ subcommittee on national security.

Judd, who represents more than 17,000 unionized Border Patrol agents, offered no specifics in his prepared statement to the committee, hearing testimony about reforming the agents’ pay system.

Still, he warned the panel that U.S. officials must not become complacent about the dangers that lurk along the border with Canada and “the ongoing threat … to the safety of the American public.”

“In the early to mid-1990s, San Diego and El Paso were ground zero for both illegal immigration and drug smuggling,” he said. “In response, the border patrol threw all of its resources at those two areas without also strengthening the other areas of the border.”

The thinking was that Arizona’s inhospitable climate and terrain would help deter other illegal traffic from Mexico. The presumption proved wrong. But Judd said the same misguided thinking now threatens U.S. security along its northern front.

Full story: Canadian border ‘most likely entry point’ for terrorists, U.S. Congress hears.

Danny Brown Fans Start Petition to Let Rapper Into Canada, Citing Potential Racial Bias | SPIN

Danny Brown may never set foot in Canada again, but his fans are hoping they can change that. The Detroit rapper has announced he was denied entry into the country for at least the second time, forcing him to miss two shows with Action Bronson as part of their 2 High 2 Die tour. Now, a petition on Activism.com calls on the Canadian government to reconsider its position.

At press time, the petition had only 46 signatures out of a goal of 10,000, but that number can only go up, right? “Danny Brown is of significant cultural importance within the music community, and has many, many fans of his work in this country,” the petition reads. “He is not a significant threat to the security of our nation, and i feel that his entry denial is unfair, biased, and potentially racially motivated.”

Brown described his border troubles earlier this week on Twitter. “Headed to Calgary Canada .. fingers crossed .. Pray 4 the bruh bruh y’all,” he wrote on September 9, only to add four hours later, “Sorry Canada .. I tried.” And then: “That’s so fucked up … Did all this paperwork .. Paid all this money and still got denied .. I’m so sorry,” followed by, “I know I’m not trying again .. It’s a wrap on Canada bruh bruh.”

Brown didn’t give a specific reason for the denial, aside from tweeting, “My past continues to haunt me” — most likely a reference to his prior convictions for drug dealing and probation violations. The 32-year-old spent eight months in jail, getting out in 2007.

Action Bronson played the duo’s planned September 11 show in Edmonton. He’ll also perform on September 12 in Vancouver as part of the scheduled dates. According to Pitchfork, Brown’s reps say they’re working on getting him cleared to head to Canada for gigs in Toronto and Montreal on October 1 and October 2, just after he releases his third album, Old.

Brown, who will wait in Los Angeles before resuming the tour in Denver on September 17, has been denied entry into Canada before. He, A$AP Rocky, and Schoolboy Q were turned away last fall during the Long Live A$AP tour, according to Hip Hop Canada, and L.A. rapper Hopsin was also barred from crossing the border the same day in a separate incident. Waka Flocka Flame, Game, and 50 Cent are among the many hip-hop artists who’ve also been told they’re not welcome up north.

Canada’s border policy for musicians has been in focus recently. In August, an outcry spread across the music world after a little-discussed rule change sharply raised the costs of booking artists from outside Canada. In effect, basically, any bar, restaurant, or coffee shop that tries to book a non-Canadian act must now pay $275 per band and crew member — with no guarantee the acts, like Brown, won’t be denied entry. That’s in addition to a preexisting $150 fee per person, capped at $450, paid one time to enter the country.

Full story: Danny Brown Fans Start Petition to Let Rapper Into Canada, Citing Potential Racial Bias | SPIN | Newswire.

Canadian Muslim leaders worried U.S. speakers will spread ‘hate’ about Islam | Vancouver Sun

TORONTO – A Canadian Muslim organization is calling on Ottawa to spell out how it decides whether to allow controversial foreign speakers into the country ahead of a planned appearance by two conservative American bloggers.

The National Council of Canadian Muslims worries Pamela Geller and Robert Spencer will spread “hate and misinformation” about the Islamic faith when they speak at a Toronto-area hotel Tuesday evening, the group’s executive director said.

Though it disagrees with their message, the group isn’t seeking to have the pair turned away at the border, Ihsaan Gardee said. But it would like to know how, exactly, that decision is made.

“What we would like from the government of Canada is clear and consistent direction… when it comes to the eligibility of speakers to enter Canada,” he said.

“It needs to be consistent and clear because if it isn’t, then it sends a message that freedom of speech and hate (are) being arbitrarily measured.”

Canadian authorities have previously denied access to some polarizing figures, such as Terry Jones, the American pastor best known for burning copies of the Islamic holy text.

Geller and Spencer have sparked their share of outrage through their respective blogs, Atlas Shrugs and Jihad Watch. The pair also co-founded the group Stop the Islamization of America.

They were barred from entering the U.K. in June, a move they condemned as a blow against freedom of speech.

The Canada Border Services Agency wouldn’t say whether it would consider similar action, noting admissibility is determined “on a case-by-case basis.”

“Several factors are used in determining admissibility into Canada, including: involvement in criminal activity, in human rights violations, in organized crime, security, health or financial reasons,” spokeswoman Vanessa Barrasa said in an email.

U.S. pushes for cross-border officers to be exempt from Canadian law: RCMP memo | The Globe and Mail

The United States wants its police officers to be exempt from Canadian law if they agree to take part in a highly touted cross-border policing initiative, says an internal RCMP memo.

The debate over whose laws would apply to U.S. officers working in Canada raises important questions of sovereignty and police accountability, says the briefing note prepared for RCMP Commissioner Bob Paulson.

“Canadians would likely have serious concerns with cross-designated officers from the U.S. not being accountable for their actions in Canada.”

The planned pilot project — part of a sweeping Canada-U.S. perimeter security pact — would see the two countries build on joint border-policing efforts by creating integrated teams in areas such as intelligence and criminal investigations.

The perimeter deal, being phased in over several years, aims to ensure the safe, speedy passage of goods and people across the 49th parallel while bolstering North American defences.

Full story: U.S. pushes for cross-border officers to be exempt from Canadian law: RCMP memo – The Globe and Mail.

U.S. eyes high-tech security boost at Canadian border | CBC News

U.S. eyes high-tech security boost at Canadian border – Politics – CBC News.

A U.S. senator says a low-cost, high-tech cable sensor system could be planted along the Canada-U.S. border to boost security without impeding business.

Montana Democrat Senator Jon Tester, who will chair a special field meeting of the U.S. Senate homeland security committee today focusing on the northern border, said cutting-edge technology, private partnerships and bilateral collaboration are key to closing potentially critical gaps — especially at expansive unmanned stretches.

“I think there’s some real opportunity to save money and get better border security,” Tester told CBC News. “I’m not talking drones here, I’m talking low-level radar. I’m talking things like Blue Rose technology, where you can lay a cable in the ground and determine whether a gopher runs over it, or a human being, or a horse.”

Full story.

Latinos face trouble by calling 911 in border towns, group says | The Seattle Times

Latinos face trouble by calling 911 in border towns, group says | Local News | The Seattle Times.

A complaint filed this week with the Justice Department said many Latinos living in U.S. cities along the Canadian border have grown fearful of calling 911 because they know U.S. Border Patrol officers often respond with local police.

Many Latinos living in the northern border towns of Sumas, Blaine and Lynden have grown fearful of calling 911 in emergencies because they know that frequently U.S. Border Patrol officers who process those calls respond along with the local police.

That claim is contained in a civil-rights complaint a Whatcom County immigrant-advocacy group has filed against U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and the three cities.

The complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice claims the agency and the cities together violate the civil rights of Latinos by subjecting them to racial profiling and discriminatory treatment no other group has to endure.

Full story.

Immigration reform challenges Mexican & Canadian border farmers | Arizona Capitol Times

Immigration reform challenges Mexican & Canadian border farmers | Arizona Capitol Times.

There is no fruit on the trees in New York in March but Jim Bittner is busy making phone calls and talking to buyers for the upcoming growing season. When he walks outside, the cool air from Lake Ontario bites at his cheeks. If the sky is clear, he might be able to see Toronto, Canada, from one of his apple orchards.

More than 2,200 miles away, rancher Dennis Moroney steps onto his porch and into the dry heat of southern Arizona. The 160 cattle he tends are in the mountains for the winter, waiting until the first green mesquite beans appear in the flat land. As he points out the boundaries of his property, “from the peak of that mountain, over the ridge, to that slope,” he can also point to a long black line dividing the landscape in the distance. It’s a small section of the border fence between the United States and Mexico.

Personal data on thousands of cross-border travellers shared with U.S. under new program | Edmonton Journal

Personal data on thousands of cross-border travellers shared with U.S. under new program.

OTTAWA — Canada and the U.S. have swapped biographic information on 756,000 cross-border travellers under a sweeping new effort to catch cheating entrants, according to a new border agency report.

The flow of personal data between the countries has so far been limited to information about third-country nationals and permanent residents crossing at four major Canada-U.S. land border points.

Next year, however, the bilateral exchange will expand to cover all travellers, including Canadian and American citizens, at all automated border crossings.

The project is part of the 2011 Canada-U.S. Beyond the Border declaration and action plan. Like many post-9/11 efforts, the new “Entry/Exit Information System” attempts to find the elusive balance between national security and personal privacy.

Full story.