OTTAWA — An NDP critic says a provision in the federal government's border security bill that would give cabinet the power to cancel immigration documents is an attempt to "mimic" measures deployed by the Trump administration in the U.S.
"It seems to me … this piece of legislation is Canada's attempt to mimic some of those measures that the United States is adopting. I actually never thought that this day would come where Canada would go down that road," B.C. NDP MP Jenny Kwan told The Canadian Press.
"However, it is here, and meanwhile the government is saying, 'Don't worry, trust us.'"
Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said that the immigration minister would only be able to exercise the power to cancel, suspend or alter immigration documents in an "emergency" and after being granted the authority through an order-in-council.
"The tools are in place to ensure the minister of immigration has additional tools to ensure that in a modern era, for example, whether it's a pandemic or issues around cybersecurity, she will have the tools to make those decisions," Anandasangaree said during debate on the bill Thursday.
Immigration Minister Lena Diab said Wednesday that the legislation is designed to address "one-off" situations like a pandemic or some other "exceptional circumstance."
"I think people, Canadians should feel safe that we are putting in all these safeguards, but again, as I said, it's all part of protecting our country and protecting our system that we value and protecting people that come here because we want to ensure that they are successful as well," Diab said.
Kwan said the proposed new power is "concerning" because cabinet decisions are made in secret and there's no firm definition of an "emergency" in the legislation.
"I don't accept that the Liberals say, 'Don't worry, we're the good guys, so trust us.' I'm sorry, that is just not acceptable," she said, adding there's no way to know what a future government might do with this power.
The text of the legislation says that if the minister "is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to do so," they may trigger this power through a cabinet order.
U.S. President Donald Trump has used national security as justification for a host of immigration measures that involve detaining and deporting people, including university students who have condemned the war in Gaza.
Bill C-2 also proposes giving the immigration minister the power to pause the acceptance of new immigration applications and cancel or pause processing of the current inventory of applications in the event of an emergency.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 5, 2025.
David Baxter, The Canadian Press
