U.S. ambassador says Canadians facing device searches, detainment
'not a pattern'
Dylan Robertson
| The Canadian Press | Posted: June 7, 2025 3:17 PM | Last
Updated: 20 hours ago
Ottawa's new travel advice says Canadians should 'expect
scrutiny at ports of entry'
Image | The week in news photos 06
Caption: U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra poses for a
portrait at the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa on Friday. Hoekstra is
pushing back on Ottawa's travel advice about the U.S., saying
his country doesn't search phones at the border. (Sean
Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)
(BUTTON) Load Image
Open Image in New Tab
The U.S. ambassador to Canada is pushing back on Ottawa's
travel advice, saying his country doesn't search phones at the
border and arguing some Americans travelling to Canada are
having a tough time.
"We welcome Canadians to come in and invest, to spend their
hard-earned Canadian dollars at U.S. businesses," U.S.
Ambassador Pete Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an
interview Friday.
"If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into
the United States, I'm not denying that it happened, but I'm
saying it's an isolated event and it is not a pattern."
In April, Ottawa updated its advice to Canadians travelling to
the United States to warn them about the possibility they might
be detained if denied entry.
"Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic
devices," reads the new guidance.
There have been reports of Canadians facing intensified
scrutiny at the border, having phones searched and, in some
cases, being detained.
WATCH | Canadian visits to U.S. plummet over fears of new
security measures:
Media Video | The National : Canadian visits to U.S. plummet
over fear of harsh new security measures
Caption: Canadians are making fewer trips to the U.S. over
fears about the Trump administration’s harsh new security
measures, including the heightened possibility of being
detained. Statistics Canada says air travel is down 13 per
cent, and land travel is down by almost a third.
Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require
significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story
pages.
Hoekstra insisted concerns about device searches are not
grounded in reality.
"Coming to the U.S., that's a decision for the Canadians to
make. Searching devices and all of that is not a well-founded
fear. We don't do that. America is a welcoming place," he said.
Americans also scrutinized at border: Hoekstra
He said some Americans have expressed similar concerns about
Canada.
"I've heard that from Americans coming into Canada as well, OK?
Saying, 'You know, we've not received a warm reception when
we've gotten to Canadian customs,'" he said.
When asked if these reports from American travellers involve
arbitrary phone searches and lengthy detainment, Hoekstra said
there are consular cases of Americans complaining to the
embassy about the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
* Canadian travel to the U.S. has plummeted. One reason why:
fear
* Carney and Trump are holding private talks to drop tariffs
"We've said, 'OK this may have been an isolated event. There
may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad
day, and thought they'd take it out on, you know, somebody
across the border,'" he said.
In a statement, the CBSA said its officers follow a code of
conduct and the federal ethics code that both require them to
treat everyone equally, and that the agency investigates any
complaints of mistreatment.
"Employees are expected to conduct themselves in a way that
upholds the values of integrity, respect and professionalism at
all times," wrote spokesperson Karine Martel.
* Trump's 'big, beautiful' budget bill could cost Canadians
billions
"Treating people with respect, dignity and fairness is
fundamental to our border services officers' relationship with
the public and a key part of this is serving all travellers in
a non-discriminatory way."
Hoekstra said travel to the U.S. is up to individuals.
"If you decide that you're not going to come down or whatever,
that's your decision and you're missing an opportunity. There
are great things to see in America," Hoekstra said.
He also noted the case of CNN journalist Christiane Amanpour,
who recently said she prepared to visit the U.S. last month as
if she was "going to North Korea" — with a "burner phone" that
didn't carry any personal information — only to experience a
warm welcome.
Image | Senate Ambassadors
Caption: Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. James
Risch, left, speaks with Hoekstra, then candidate for U.S.
Ambassador to Canada, after a Senate Foreign Relations
Committee hearing on the U.S. Ambassadors to Mexico, Japan and
Canada, on March 13 in Washington, D.C. (Jacquelyn Martin/The
Associated Press)
(BUTTON) Load Image
Open Image in New Tab
"It's like, [let's] get past the rhetoric and let's look at the
real experiences that people are having here," Hoekstra said.
Airlines have been cutting flights between Canada and the U.S.
due to a slump in demand, and Flight Centre Travel Group Canada
reported a nearly 40 per cent drop in flights between the two
countries year-over-year in February.
A survey in early May conducted by Leger Marketing for the
Association for Canadian Studies found 52 per cent of
respondents feel that "it is no longer safe for all Canadians
travelling to the United States," with 29 per cent disagreeing
and 19 per cent saying they were unsure. Roughly the same
proportion said they personally feel unwelcome in the U.S.
2SLGBTQ+ groups have opted against attending World Pride events
in Washington and United Nations events in New York, citing
scrutiny at the border as the Trump administration scales back
protections for transgender and non-binary people.
More Stories Like This
The related links below are generated automatically based on
the story you’ve just read.
Loading...
CBC Lite is a low-bandwidth website. To see what's new, check
out our release notes. For high quality images, media,
comments, and other additional features visit the full version
of this story.
We and select advertising partners use trackers to collect some
of your data in order to enhance your experience and to deliver
personalized content and advertising. If you are not
comfortable with the use of this information, please review
your device and browser privacy settings before continuing your
visit. Learn more about Online Tracking and Privacy Choices.
* Corrections and Clarifications
* Terms of Use
* Reuse & Permission
* Privacy
* Accessibility
* Contact a Newsroom
* Submit Feedback
* Lite Help Centre
* Jobs
* RSS
