Wednesday, July 29

Trump wants a stronger northern border. The view from the Canadian side.

Exclusive: How the Canadians view Trump's push for a tough border.

Sgt. Jonathan Maheu of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police drives an eight-wheel ATV along the international boundary between the United States and Canada near the New York State border on July 15, 2026. The 20-foot-wide “slash” though the trees and brush runs for more than 1,000 miles, a significant portion of the approximately 5,000-mile-long border between the two countries.

Canadian immigration authorities are taking a far different approach on their side of the border amid the Trump administration’s aggressive enforcement. In contrast to their American counterparts, Royal Canadian Mounted Police (aka Mounties) officers wear ID and body cameras but no face coverings. And migrants rarely die at their hands.

In exclusive reporting access, the Mounties recently gave USA TODAY a rare behind-the-scenes look at how they operate. In patrols on a boat, in unmarked pickups and by ATV, they demonstrated how they secure their southern border from the consequences of American immigration policy, permissive gun laws and the flow of illegal drugs, including fentanyl, in both directions.

Mounties on patrol at the U.S.-Canada border

Sgt. Jonathan Maheu, left, and Corporal Samuel Perreault-Magny of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police conduct a boat patrol in the St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada near the New York State border on July 15, 2026.

Trevor Hughes/USA TODAY

Here's what USA TODAY's exclusive reporting found:

•	What are the Canadian authorities focused on? They are prioritizing arresting those who are smuggling immigrants across the world’s longest border, one that stretches 5,525 miles through forests, mountains and the Great Lakes.
•	The numbers: About 74 people were caught crossing into Canada from the United States in the first quarter of 2026, according to Canadian statistics. But the Mounties said they're now seeing an increase in people seeking refuge in Canada as President Donald Trump toughens American immigration enforcement.
•	Death count down: Since 2000, at least 17 people have died in Canadian immigration detention custody, most in provincial jails, according to the advocacy group Human Rights Watch. In contrast, at least 53 people have died in ICE custody since Trump retook the White House in January 2025, according to USA TODAY's immigration enforcement tracker.

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Sgt. Jonathan Maheu, left, and Corporal Samuel Perreault-Magny of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police conduct a boat patrol in the St. Lawrence River between the United States and Canada near the New York State border on July 15, 2026.