Alberta steps up border security under Trump tariff threat

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith announced a new sheriff patrol to shore up security at the US-Canadian border at the southern portion of Alberta. This seems to be in response to Trump’s threat of 25% tariffs on Canadian imports until they put an end to illegal immigration and drug trafficking at the Canadian border.

However, Alberta Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis claimed upping border security was planned “regardless of what president-elect Trump said.” But it’s important to note that, out of all Canadian provinces, Alberta is commonly known to be the most conservative, sometimes referred to as the “Texas of Canada.” So this move may have more of an acolytic bent than one of appeasement.

Ellis also stated that people could be arrested without a warrant along the 298-kilometer border portion.

As an aside, it’s worth noting that the Toronto Star originally posted this story with a headline and web address that made direct reference to Trump’s tariff threats. However, as 5pm Eastern on December 12th, the URL https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/alberta/alberta-premier-to-announce-border-security-plan-in-response-to-trump-tariff-threat/article_ee65083e-7702-5fa6-b3e0-25321ff30985.html redirected to the address https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/alberta/alberta-to-put-29m-into-border-security-patrol-unit-with-sheriffs-dogs-drones/article_ee65083e-7702-5fa6-b3e0-25321ff30985.html. It would also seem that any mention of Trump or tariffs had been removed from the headline as well.