A recent Facebook post from a Canadian friend stopped me in my tracks. It wasn't the initial post so much as the comment thread it provoked香蕉视频直播攃omments from fellow Canadians defending the U.S. detention and deportation of migrants, many of whom have no criminal record, with the familiar refrain: 香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檙e not a criminal, you have nothing to worry about.香蕉视频直播� The original post was about Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand telling CTV News that approximately 55 Canadians have been detained by ICE.
What they香蕉视频直播檙e really saying is 香蕉视频直播淚f you香蕉视频直播檙e white and not a criminal, you have nothing to worry about.香蕉视频直播� Racialized individuals are disproportionately targeted for detention and deportation compared to white people.
One commenter confidently stated that if you香蕉视频直播檙e not a criminal, travel won香蕉视频直播檛 be a problem. Another doubled down by praising U.S. law enforcement for 香蕉视频直播渃leaning up香蕉视频直播� criminals and implied that such efforts are good for Canada too. The assumption running beneath it all was clear: if people are being detained or deported, they must have done something to deserve it.
This isn香蕉视频直播檛 just about border policies. It香蕉视频直播檚 about the growing number of Canadians willing to endorse Trump-era immigration tactics香蕉视频直播攖actics that abandon due process and blur the line between undocumented status and criminality. In one comment, a user claimed that most deportations don香蕉视频直播檛 even require a criminal record and dismissed any concern over rights violations. The conversation wasn香蕉视频直播檛 taking place in some fringe political group香蕉视频直播攊t was among friends and acquaintances, people I香蕉视频直播檝e known and respected. And yet, here they were, giving cover to a system that increasingly disregards the presumption of innocence, even for fellow Canadians detained without explanation.
While Canadians cheerlead this erosion of rights abroad, countries around the world are issuing travel advisories warning their citizens about entering the United States. Canada, Germany, France, Denmark, Finland, the UK, Ireland, Portugal, and Belgium have all updated their guidance to reflect growing concerns. Some cite increased risk of arbitrary detention, police violence, civil unrest, and legal uncertainty香蕉视频直播攑articularly for 2SLGBTQIA+ people, racial minorities, and activists. The U.S. once advised its citizens to steer clear of unstable regimes. Now, democratic allies are turning that warning back on America.
At the same time, Canada has issued its own travel advisories for the U.S., referencing new anti-trans laws, changes in passport policies, and concerns about unpredictable border enforcement. For example, there have been reports of Canadian travelers香蕉视频直播攕ome dual citizens香蕉视频直播攂eing detained without cause, and of cell phones being searched for political affiliation or social media posts. What香蕉视频直播檚 chilling is not just that these things are happening, but that so many Canadians are now fine with it.
Why are we, as Canadians, so willing to support a political movement in the U.S. that so openly disrespects civil liberties and due process? Some may see it as a necessary trade-off for border security, but that香蕉视频直播檚 a false bargain. Others seem captivated by the performative strength of authoritarian leadership, mistaking cruelty for order. And some, frankly, are just not worried香蕉视频直播攂ecause they think they香蕉视频直播檙e not the ones who will be affected. It香蕉视频直播檚 the luxury of privilege to believe that the system will only ever come for someone else.
Applauding these measures abroad erodes our own national values. When Canadians align themselves with Trump-style governance, they don香蕉视频直播檛 just support another country香蕉视频直播檚 slide into authoritarianism香蕉视频直播攖hey invite that ideology into our own politics. They chip away at Canadian sovereignty by accepting foreign detention of our citizens without protest. They lay the groundwork for a future in which the presumption of innocence, once a pillar of our legal system, is seen as optional or outdated.
Canada香蕉视频直播檚 current travel advisories aren香蕉视频直播檛 just boilerplate bureaucratic notices香蕉视频直播攖hey are a reflection of real fears and political reality. And they ought to be a wake-up call. We cannot pretend to defend democracy at home while excusing the destruction of it next door. If we cheer for the erosion of civil rights across the border, we shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be surprised when those cracks appear in our own.
There is a difference between immigration enforcement and political persecution. Between due process and arbitrary power. Between justice and fear. When Canadians stop recognizing that difference, we don香蕉视频直播檛 just lose sight of what香蕉视频直播檚 happening in the U.S.香蕉视频直播攚e start losing sight of who we are.
香蕉视频直播� Dr Wilbur Turner
- Dr. Wilbur Turner
~ Wilbur Turner is a political strategist and community advocate based in Kelowna, British Columbia, with deep roots in Alberta. With experience on the ground in federal and municipal campaigns, and a passion for civic engagement, Turner offers sharp, accessible insight into the political and social issues shaping our region and country. He was selected by the University of British Columbia for an Honorary Doctor of Laws for his significant contribution to the community. He also writes articles as QueerGranddad on Substack.
