An NDP member of parliament is urging the Canadian government to intervene and prevent Canadian businesses from engaging with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Heather McPherson shared a letter addressed to Prime Minister Mark Carney, emphasizing the need for actions against Canadian firms collaborating with ICE.
In her letter, McPherson emphasized the importance of Canada distancing itself from supporting actions that align with fascist violence, which she believes harm communities and pose a threat to American and Canadian safety. She recommended that the government should prohibit export permits for companies supplying equipment to ICE and withdraw any public subsidies or contracts from entities involved with the agency.
Under President Donald Trump’s second term, federal agents have been deployed to cities accused of high crime rates, such as Los Angeles, Washington, Chicago, Charlotte, and Minneapolis. The recent focus has been on Minneapolis, where masked and armed agents have conducted raids on businesses and residences. ICE’s intensified activities in Minneapolis have resulted in the deaths of two U.S. citizens and the detention of a five-year-old child and his father.
Protests demanding ICE’s departure from the city have attracted thousands of demonstrators. McPherson expressed concern over the Trump administration’s actions, describing them as limitless abuses.
McPherson highlighted that several Canadian companies have ties to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE operations. Notably, she mentioned Hootsuite, a tech company based in Vancouver, as one of the firms providing social media services to DHS since August 2024. The company’s CEO clarified that their contract with ICE does not involve tracking or surveillance of individuals.
Furthermore, B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison has faced criticism for considering selling a Virginia warehouse to DHS for potential use as an ICE processing facility. Additionally, ICE has allocated funds for a significant order of 20 armored vehicles from Canadian defense manufacturer Roshel.
McPherson’s letter has prompted CBC News to seek a response from the Prime Minister’s Office. McPherson is also a candidate for the NDP leadership, with confirmation that she and four other contenders have qualified for the upcoming party leadership ballot in March.