A total of 1,411 Haitian immigrants attempted to cross the northern U.S.-Canada border in less than a month in search of refuge in Canada, amid a climate that has grown increasingly hostile to migrants.
A record number of Haitians are leaving the United States and heading north, driven by fear of new immigration policies introduced by President Donald Trump.
According to data released by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and cited by the conservative outlet New York Post, at least 1,411 individuals tried to cross the border in northern New York State during the first two weeks of April—marking a significant rise compared to March.
This recent migration wave is primarily composed of Haitian families hoping to resettle in Quebec, Canada’s only French-speaking province. Many are turning themselves in to Canadian authorities with the intention of filing asylum claims. However, others are bypassing official entry points and crossing through less-patrolled areas, New York Post reported. The reception, however, is no longer as welcoming as it was during Trump’s first term, when Canada had shown greater openness to asylum seekers.
In stark contrast to the more accommodating stance during that earlier period, the current Canadian administration has taken a much stricter approach. Mark Carney, who succeeded Justin Trudeau as Prime Minister, made his position clear during an election debate in Montreal: “There are limits. We must remain humane, but realistic. Canada cannot welcome everyone,”
he said, as quoted by New York Post.
The outlet further reported that more than 1,130 asylum seekers have already been turned back to the United States since the beginning of 2025—a record not seen in over a decade, according to CBSA statistics. The Canadian government has also ramped up its border enforcement and signaled its intent to expedite deportations of migrants who do not meet the country’s eligibility requirements.
Fears of imminent deportation have been exacerbated by Trump’s promise to dismantle the CHNV program, a humanitarian parole initiative established by the Biden administration. That program had granted temporary legal status to over half a million migrants—particularly those from Haiti, Venezuela, Cuba, and Nicaragua.
Haitian migrants also face a significant legal barrier: the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA) between the United States and Canada. Under this agreement, asylum seekers must make their claims in the first safe country they arrive in. Only limited exceptions apply—typically for individuals who have close family members already residing in Canada.
For all others, the policy remains clear. As stated by the CBSA: “If an individual does not meet the exception criteria, they will be returned to the United States.”
Those already granted entry under the CHNV program, however, can take some reassurance. On April 14, a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for Massachusetts issued an injunction preventing the Trump administration from revoking their legal status. Meanwhile, a separate case involving Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is under review by a California judge who had previously ruled in favor of Venezuelan migrants in a similar case.
Following Joe Biden’s election in 2020, many individuals who had fled to Canada during the Trump years sought to return to the United States. Unfortunately, a number of them were either arrested or died en route, often due to dangerous weather conditions during the crossing.
