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[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

Mark Carney’s Liberals announce new Canada Strong Pass
April 12, 2025

Ottawa, ON – With President Trump threatening our economy and sovereignty, Canadians are uniting to find new ways to discover and celebrate our beautiful country. So many Canadians are cutting back vacations to the United States, and instead making memories here at home and showing our Canadian pride.

Today, Mark Carney’s Liberals announced a new Canada Strong Pass so kids and young families can better discover and celebrate Canada over the summer. This builds on our announcement to connect Canadians with nature by making access to National Parks and Historic Sites free for everyone this summer.

“At a time when our economy is under attack from President Trump, Canadians are stepping up – helping our neighbours, buying local, and celebrating our beautiful country,” said Mark Carney, Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada. “Whether it’s trips to national parks and historic sites, spending the day at a national art gallery or museum, or hiking Canadian trails, my new government will help the next generation discover all Canada has to offer this summer. We are a proud country – and united, we will strengthen our Canadian identity in the face of this crisis.”

The Canada Strong Pass will provide children and youth under the age of 18 with free access to Canada’s incredible national galleries and museums, and free seats on VIA Rail when they travel with their parents. We will work with willing provinces and territories to establish similar pricing structures in our beautiful provincial museums and galleries. This pass will be available from June to August 2025. We will also introduce heavily discounted access and fares for young Canadians aged 18-24.

We will also reduce prices for camping sites in national parks for all Canadians from June to August, so families can better discover and enjoy Canada.

A Mark Carney-led government will stand strong against President Trump’s tariffs, create new jobs, cut taxes for the middle class, and build the fastest growing economy in the G7. Liberals will build Canada strong.

https://liberal.ca/mark-carneys-liberal ... rong-pass/

[ti-amie]

Canadians required to register with U.S. government if in country at least 30 days
U.S. judge sets aside legal challenge that could have delayed rule for Canadians
Chris Iorfida · CBC News · Posted: Apr 11, 2025 12:58 PM EDT | Last Updated: April 11

Many Canadians travelling to the United States will now have to newly register with the U.S. government as of Friday or face potential fines or jail time.

The requirement stems from an executive order that U.S. President Donald Trump signed on his first day in office for non-citizens who are in the country for 30 days or longer, though the administration has argued that a registration requirement has always existed and that officials are now simply enforcing it for everyone.

A U.S. federal judge on Thursday allowed the Trump administration to move forward with the requirement that unauthorized persons must register with the federal government and carry documentation.

Beginning Friday, Canadians over the age of 14 who will be in the U.S. for that length of time will have to register with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where the USCIS agency is housed, have emphasized in news releases this year that the registration requirement will be fully enforced. DHS says the number of people overall who stand to be affected by the rule, not just Canadians, could be between 2.2 million and 3.2 million.

"U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry requirements," the Canadian government said in an updated travel advisory last week. "Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities. If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation."

Fingerprints not required

Janie Patterson, a Canadian who has been travelling extensively to Florida for the past 10 years, told CBC News on Friday that the registration requirement was "surprising and inconvenient and conjures up a lot of concerns as to what's going to happen next."

That sentiment is common, according to the site Snowbirdadvisor.ca, which has noted "widespread misinformation and conflicting information circulating online and through word of mouth about the new registration requirements, which has created anxiety and confusion among Canadian snowbirds ...."

Part of the confusion stems from the differences that often occur when Canadians travel to the U.S. by plane as opposed to entering the country at a land border.

Many who fly would have already received the required I-94 form, and they don't have to register if they've previously submitted it. Most driving to the U.S. aren't handed an I-94.

To find out their status, travellers need to input their travel information online via a U.S. immigration website upon arrival.

Those required to register must carry proof of registration at all times or face fines of up to $5,000 or imprisonment for up to six months, or both.

Canadians at this point are exempt from submitting their fingerprints, a requirement citizens from other countries staying in the U.S. for over 30 days will face.

Patterson, who has returned to Canada for the year, has often driven back and forth across the border. But she said for next year, she's contemplating flying "to avoid just the whole mess crossing the border, possibly being detained."

'Pendulum has gone 180 degrees'

The implementation comes at a time of heightened tensions between the countries. The president has mused at length that Canada should be another U.S. state, while a few Canadian business sectors have been among the first slapped with the second Trump administration's imposition of new tariffs.

The number of return trips among Canadians travelling to the U.S. in March plummeted compared with the previous year: 32 per cent lower for trips by land and a 13.5 per cent decline for those travelling by air.

While the weakness of the Canadian dollar has loomed large, recent news coverage of heavy-handed treatment of tourists and students by front-line immigration personnel could dissuade would-be travellers to the U.S.

"In past administrations, you wouldn't see these cases," Len Saunders, a U.S. immigration lawyer, told CBC News. "It's almost like the pendulum has gone 180 degrees, from low enforcement to just maximum enforcement."

In Thursday's court ruling, Judge Trevor Neil McFadden — appointed by Trump to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2017 — sided with the administration, which had argued that officials were simply enforcing a requirement that already existed.

McFadden's ruling didn't go into the substance of those arguments but rested largely on the technical issue of whether the groups pushing to stop the requirement had standing to pursue their claims. He ruled they didn't.

One of those groups, the National Immigration Law Center, called the ruling "disappointing" and urged people who think they might be affected to "consult with an immigration attorney to better understand the consequences of registering or not."

Another group, the American Immigration Council, said it was "very concerned" the new requirement will cause "fear and confusion."

"Among other things, we are very worried that this new rule, which requires millions of people to always carry specific immigration documents and present them to law enforcement on demand, will open the door to harassment and discrimination," Deputy Director of Litigation Emma Winger said in a statement.

Difficult choice

Federal immigration law requiring people who aren't American citizens and live in the U.S. to register with the government came into effect with the Alien Registration Act of 1940, with guidance updated with the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.

Enforcement of such requirements has been inconsistent at best, however, with the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks one of the rare exceptions.

Trump's executive order in January was followed by advice from Homeland Security officials on Feb. 25 for people to self-deport if they weren't willing to register.

The administration has pursued an aggressive deportation strategy, even expelling some migrants to separate, third countries not of origin. Others who applied for asylum using an app introduced by the previous Democratic administration have been told to self-deport as their claims will no longer be considered, it was reported this week.

Leaving aside foreign nationals who take extended American trips like the Canadian snowbirds, the U.S. does have a significant issue with unauthorized persons within its borders, estimated at between 11 million and 12 million people by various immigration think-tanks.

While migrants crossing between border points into the U.S. are an attention-grabbing, hot-button issue politically, so-called visa overstays are a significant driver of the unauthorized number. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was reported that tens of thousands of Canadians overstayed their visa each year — although, according to U.S. government data, the figure has dropped slightly.

But groups like the the National Immigration Law Center have argued the U.S. government should have implemented a lengthier public notification process before bringing about the change.

And many who don't fall into the winter traveller category and have established careers or deep family ties in the U.S. face the choice of coming forward to register, with a government seemingly intent on carrying out large-scale deportations, or staying under the radar and risking jail time.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/us-visito ... -1.7507764

[ti-amie]

Nayib Bukele is often referred to as a dictator to most English news outlets. However, in much of the Spanish speaking world Bukele has been heavily praised for his complete annihilation of El Salvador's gangs. El Salvador once had higher homicide rates than Afghanistan and Iraq, but now looks to become the safest country in the western hemisphere. All while the president himself enjoys historic high approval ratings of over 90% with no evidence of election tampering.

Nayib himself has said he wants to now focus on economy growth and welfare reform, a welcome improvement for the development of the country that can help El Salvador become a middle income country.

That being said, Nayib's dialogue shows complete agreement with all decisions Trump has made related to immigration deportations. Going so far as to house deportees in their maximum security prisons, DESPITE many not having any criminal records.

What are the repercussions for El Salvador to Nayib's compliance to Trump's demands? In the short term this will greatly help put El Salvador in America's graces under the Trump administration, but what about the long-term repercussions?

El Salvador lacks effective criminal court procedures for everyone in the mega jail, the deportees themselves are very likely entirely innocent and not gang-affiliated. This makes work for future administrations that respect the court processing very difficult to work with, and sours any continued cooperation until the deportees are given due process.

Not to mention the fact that these deportees come from various Latin nations, which brings the diplomatic girth of many of El Salvador's neighbors, as they won't like knowing that their own citizens are wrongly in foreign prisons (though this isn't as big a deal for Latin nations compared to how America sees this).

In which case, the most sensible policy would be to have a separate prison specific for deportees in El Salvador. A prison that better complies to UN criminal treatment standards and gives much more leeway for court processing. This would help El Salvador work with future administrations while relieving the diplomatic pressure that comes from jailing obviously innocent people.

But with how stern Nayib Bukele has been in support to Trump's policies, this doesn't seem likely to occur. So what are the long-term consequences for El Salvador to continue down Trump's desired path for deportee treatment?

res0nat0r
•
4h ago
He gets free money from the USA and "protection" from the USA whatever that means until Trump turns on him, and all he has to do is kiss a dementia grandpa's ass. Sounds like a great deal from his perspective.

[ashkor87]

The Pope is dead..long live the Pope?! My money is on Cardinal Tagle of Manila..the fastest growing catholic population is in Asia....

[Suliso]

A long and illustrious life he had. Will be interesting to see who takes over even for non religious folks like me.

[ponchi101]

Would like to hear your reasons for calling his career illustrious. Not putting you on, really would like to hear your opinion.

[Suliso]

Would like to hear your reasons for calling his career illustrious. Not putting you on, really would like to hear your opinion.

He rose from a modest background to the highest political post in the church. Once there he steered the church in a more liberal direction compared to his predecessor. Also all the power didn't get to his head.

[ti-amie]

My concern is that someone in the pocket of Opus Dei will sneak in and all of the work Pope Francis put in will have been in vain.

Cardinal Tagle is considered a front runner and at 67 he's relatively young. There's also talk of Cardinal Turkson from Ghana as a viable candidate but these two men could cancel each other out. The Cardinal of my Archdiocese, Cardinal Dolan, has been measuring the drapes in the Papal Residence for a long time. He's 75 and quite conservative. If he, or someone like him, gets in it will be a step back for the church.

[Oploskoffie]

Up until about two years ago, I was seriously considering going to the US Open for a second time, perhaps even taking some more time to actually see things as during my first visit, I was watching tennis all days but one. Since then, all plans have gone from "delayed" to "cancelled for the foreseeable future". I am far from at ease with what is happening, what is being normalised and what may or may not be on the horizon and feel strongly about not wanting to spend even a dime that could in some way help the Trump administration . My partner, who can normally see beyond certain factors and issues and find the positives, recently said she's given up on Canada as well until it is beyond reasonably certain nothing weird could happen while we're there. And, in our social circle at least, those are not uncommon sentiments, though it is mostly the "hard no" to visiting America at this point in time.

There will be, obviously, still people wanting to travel. A couple we know recently did a road trip across America via Hawaii and had an absolutely fantastic time and met some wonderful locals. They'd also go back in a heartbeat without any kind of worry and feel that said locals should not be the financial victims of what goes on over their heads/beyond their control.

[ponchi101]

I will have to go to the USA sometime next year, at the very least. But I will travel separately from my GF; she is Argie so she may have an easy going.
But I will make sure that my layover at IAH will be at least 4 hours. Time enough not to miss my connection and answer any and all questions.

[ti-amie]

German Tourists Deported From US for Not Booking Hotel
Published Apr 21, 2025 at 7:40 AM EDT

By
Billal Rahman

Two German teenage girls were detained and deported from the United States after arriving in Hawaii without a hotel reservation.

Newsweek contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment via email outside of normal office hours.

Why It Matters

The case highlights how minor oversights can trigger severe immigration enforcement under Donald Trump's aggressive border policies.

International travelers face increased scrutiny under the Trump administration's stringent immigration policies. This case exemplifies how minor oversights can lead to severe consequences, raising concerns about the treatment of tourists and the potential detrimental effect on international travel to the U.S.​

What To Know
Maria Lepère and Charlotte Pohl, both recent high school graduates from Rostock, Germany, embarked on a world tour, visiting countries like Thailand and New Zealand, according to the German outlet Ostsee Zeitung.

Their journey took an unexpected turn when they arrived in Hawaii without pre-booked accommodations. Immigration officials, suspecting potential unauthorized work intentions due to the lack of hotel reservations, detained them.

They arrived in Honolulu on March 18, planning to spend five weeks exploring the islands before continuing to California and then Costa Rica following their graduation.

The duo spent several days in a detention facility before being deported, despite holding valid travel documents and having no prior infractions.

The teens hadn't booked accommodations for their full stay in Hawaii, which raised concerns for Customs and Border Protection—even though both had valid travel authorizations through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA).

"They found it suspicious that we hadn't fully booked our accommodations for the entire five weeks in Hawaii," Pohl said.

The teens said they were questioned for several hours at Honolulu Airport before allegedly being subjected to full-body scans and strip searches, according to the report.

They were then dressed in green prison uniforms and placed in a holding cell alongside long-term detainees, some reportedly facing serious criminal charges.

The travelers said they had to sleep on thin, moldy mattresses and were cautioned by guards to avoid eating expired food.

The following morning, they were told by officials that they would be deported. At the airport, they requested to be sent to Japan.

"It was all like a fever dream," Lepère said.

This incident is not isolated, as reports indicate a rise in detentions of European tourists under the current U.S. administration, including the recent detention of three German nationals by border authorities under Trump's watch.

Meanwhile, Germany has issued travel advisories warning its citizens about the threat of deportation under Trump's rule.

The Foreign Ministry said that neither approval through the U.S. ESTA system nor a U.S. visa means people will be granted entry every time.

What People Are Saying
Charlotte Pohl told Ostsee Zeitung: "We wanted to travel spontaneously. Just like we did in Thailand and New Zealand."

"We were scanned with metal detectors, the whole body was scanned, we had to stand naked in front of the police officers and were looked through," Pohl said. "Then we got green prison clothes and were put in a prison room with serious criminals."

Germany's Foreign Ministry says on its website: "Neither a valid ESTA authorization nor a valid U.S. visa constitutes a right to entry into the USA. The final decision regarding entry is made by the US.. border official. It is recommended that you bring proof of your return journey (e.g., flight booking) upon entry.

What Happens Next

The German Foreign Office is monitoring the situation and may engage in diplomatic discussions with U.S. counterparts to address the treatment of German nationals. Travelers are urged to meticulously plan their trips, including securing accommodations in advance, to mitigate the risk of detention or deportation.​


https://www.newsweek.com/germany-touris ... ii-2062046

[ponchi101]

It is not worth it. Plenty of other places to go to.

[Suliso]

My concern is that someone in the pocket of Opus Dei will sneak in and all of the work Pope Francis put in will have been in vain.

Cardinal Tagle is considered a front runner and at 67 he's relatively young. There's also talk of Cardinal Turkson from Ghana as a viable candidate but these two men could cancel each other out. The Cardinal of my Archdiocese, Cardinal Dolan, has been measuring the drapes in the Papal Residence for a long time. He's 75 and quite conservative. If he, or someone like him, gets in it will be a step back for the church.

More conservative than Francis is a possibility, but very conservative seems unlikely to me with Francis having appointed 2/3 of electors himself. I've seen about 5 lists with only minimal overlap. The only things I'm willing to bet on he'll be old (min 70) and from neither USA nor South America.