Canada wanted to ‘cooperate’ on illegal immigration. Trump chose tariffs - National | Globalnews.ca (2025)

Newly released documents show that in the days following the U.S. election, Canada favoured “cooperation” with the second Trump administration on “common challenges” related to illegal immigration before the U.S. threatened sweeping tariffs.

But following his victory, it appeared U.S. President Donald Trump had little interest in collaboration, choosing instead to publicly attack the U.S.’s closest ally and threaten its northern neighbour with economic collapse.

Briefing notes, obtained by Global News, through access to information laws, show Ottawa’s position on illegal immigration right after Trump’s Nov. 5 election win was “rooted in cooperating with like-minded partners, particularly the U.S. through agreements … to enforce border laws and share information to detect threats early and ensure coordinated responses.”

Fen Hampson, a Carleton University professor and president of the World Refugee and Migration Council, said Canadian and American border security has been “tightly integrated” since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, and that Trump is trying to “create his own political narrative” by stating, inaccurately, the challenges on the northern and southern borders are the same.

“[It’s] quite clear that when Donald Trump was elected to the presidency, he really didn’t have much interest either in knowing what’s going on between our two countries,” he said.

The documents are dated Nov. 13 and Nov. 15, just days after the U.S. election on Nov. 5 and roughly a week before the then-incoming U.S. president fired the first volley in his trade war against Canada with a post on Truth Social.

“I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” wrote Trump on Nov. 25.

Since then, it’s been a chaotic four months, with repeated threats, shifting deadlines, and last-minute concessions.

On April 2 — a day Trump dubbed “Liberation Day” — Canada avoided further “reciprocal” tariffs that Trump is imposing on countries around the world.

But Canada still faces the 25 per cent tariffs imposed at the start of March, as well as the 25 per cent levies on steel, aluminum and vehicles, which could devastate those industries.

The White House has said if the sweeping 25 per cent tariffs on Canadian goods are removed, then Canada would face a 12 per cent “reciprocal” tariff rate.

Trump has repeatedly pointed to the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration coming overthe northern border as justification.

“Some of Trump’s own officials have said the problem is with Mexico and with China, it’s not with Canada. So Trump clearly had a bone to pick with Canada,” said Hampson.

The documents obtained by Global News — from shortly before the “pre-tariff era” — highlight multiple examples of cross-border cooperation on the issues.

“Canada collaborates extensively with the U.S., focusing on information sharing, integrated border management, embedding officers in each other’s organizations,” read talking points prepared for Public Safety Minister David McGuinty.

Concerns about migrants crossing illegally into the U.S. from Canada predate Trump.

The Biden administration also considered the issue an “irritant.”

According to the newly released documents, Ottawa had “taken action” to address some of those frustrations, including reimposing the visa requirement for Mexican nationals.

The briefing notes also show Canada had its own concerns related to Trump’s return to the White House about the possible ripple effect of his immigration crackdown.

“The incoming U.S. administration will make border security and immigration reform a priority, focusing on immigration enforcement, including mass deportation of illegal migrants,” the documents show.

“Provinces are concerned about the impacts … on their respective jurisdictions.”

Before former prime minister Justin Trudeau stepped down, he appointed a fentanyl czar and spent $1.3 billion boosting border security.

But those measures did not deter Trump from slapping Canada with damaging tariffs.

Despite Trump’s repeated claims that “massive” amounts of the drug are pouring over the northern border, Canada was not mentioned a single time in an annual report released last week on the threat assessment of fentanyl in the U.S.

Numbers from U.S. Customs and Border Protection show less than one per cent of fentanyl and illegal immigration entering the U.S. comes from Canada.

“Donald Trump is immune to facts,” said Hampson.