Potential uncertainties in U.S. travel guidance due to the recent Canadian election.
The delay in updating the U.S. travel advisory for Canadians during the 2021 federal election may have been due to a combination of political sensitivity, complex Canada-U.S. relations, and the need for careful assessment of evolving border policies.
According to immigration lawyer Ravi Jain, Global Affairs Canada should have updated the travel advisory sooner, citing the urgency of providing detailed advice to Canadians travelling to the U.S. The newly-released documents suggest that Global Affairs received 16 media calls regarding the detention of Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian from Vancouver, who was taken into ICE detention at the San Diego border on March 3.
During the election period, the caretaker government operated with caution, limiting its actions to essential and urgent matters and avoiding making major policy decisions. This caution may have contributed to the delay in updating the travel advisory. The Canada-U.S. issue was the number one partisan issue in the election, and the caretaker government was wary about doing anything, yet rapid developments were taking place.
Under Justin Trudeau's government, Canada's foreign policy has been marked by maintaining close ties with the U.S. while managing challenging moments, including during the Trump administration and ongoing diplomatic issues. This political context may have influenced the timing and manner of advisory updates to avoid complicating relations or appearing politically charged amid an election cycle.
Updating travel advisories requires integrating timely, accurate information about risks such as border enforcement actions or pandemic-related restrictions. The government may have taken extra time to assess evolving U.S. policies, including vaccination and quarantine mandates affecting Canadian travelers, before changing official guidance.
Federal officials acknowledged that law firms and post-secondary institutions had already acted and issued cautionary advice to clients and staff. Global Affairs Canada discussed closing "information gaps" and updating Canadians on four themes: visa applications, enhanced security at border points, new U.S. information for stays beyond 30 days, and guidance on carrying ID and evidence of status in the U.S. in light of the risk related to ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations.
In summary, while no explicit official statement pinpoints a deliberate reason for the specific delay during the 2021 election, it is reasonable to infer that a combination of political sensitivity during the election, complex Canada-U.S. relations, and the need for careful assessment of evolving border policies contributed to Global Affairs Canada's delayed update of U.S. travel advisories for Canadians.
[1] CBC News. (2021, April 14). Global Affairs Canada delayed updating U.S. travel advisory during election period, documents show. Retrieved from https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/us-travel-advisory-election-1.6001250
[2] The Globe and Mail. (2021, April 13). Global Affairs Canada delayed U.S. travel advisory during election period, documents show. Retrieved from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-global-affairs-canada-delayed-us-travel-advisory-during-election-period/
[3] CTV News. (2021, April 14). Global Affairs Canada delayed U.S. travel advisory during election period, documents show. Retrieved from https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/global-affairs-canada-delayed-us-travel-advisory-during-election-period-documents-show-1.5459862
- The careful assessment of evolving border policies between Canada and the U.S., coupled with political sensitivity during the 2021 federal election, may have necessitated a delay in updating the travel advisory for Canadians.
- The need to avoid complicating relations or appearing politically charged amid the election cycle might have influenced the timing and manner of updates to the U.S. travel advisories, given the political context under Justin Trudeau's government.
