President Donald Trump has struck a nerve with Canada’s political circles yet again—this time by criticizing the nation’s immigration policies.
“Canada is destroying itself by allowing millions and millions of people into the Country, essentially unchecked and unvetted, and who are causing problems that will soon be too big to handle,” Trump shared on Truth Social last week. “It is a Liberal takeover that will end very badly. Already showing up in their numbers. Big unemployment,” he added.
A Questionable Response
Canadian officials and several media outlets were quick to counter Trump’s claims. For instance, CBC noted that immigrants and temporary residents in Canada undergo screening, while also mentioning that the unemployment rate, which was 6.4% in August, has actually dropped by half a percentage point since May.
That’s fair. It’s true that “unchecked and unvetted” is an overstatement, typical of many of Trump’s remarks. However, focusing solely on that dramatizes the situation, allowing Canada to skirt around the more pressing issue: that immigration and temporary migration numbers had surged so much that the Liberal government is now trying to reel them back in.
Just a couple of years ago, in 2021, over 8.3 million Canadians—approximately 23% of the population—were or had been landed immigrants or permanent residents, making it the highest ratio among G7 countries.
Fast forward to October 2024, and Canada’s non-permanent resident population had swelled to nearly 3 million, or 7.2% of the total population.
Now, Ottawa is changing direction. The government has scaled back its target for new temporary resident arrivals significantly, reducing the figure from 673,650 in 2025 to 385,000 this year—an approximate 43% cut. Moreover, they plan to limit the temporary-resident population to below 5% of the overall population by the end of 2027. Officials acknowledge that immigration targets need to align more closely with the country’s housing situation and labor market.
Shifting Perspectives
This marks a notable shift from the immigration approach under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Back in January 2017, shortly after Trump’s inauguration, Trudeau reacted to Trump’s immigration restrictions with a resounding social media post inviting those fleeing persecution. “To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of your faith,” he had said. “Diversity is our strength. #WelcomeToCanada.”
Now, nine years later, Ottawa is frantically trying to bring those numbers down again.
Figures from Statistics Canada recently indicated a drop of nearly 155,000 non-permanent residents compared to the previous year. Still, as of July 1, there were about 2.78 million of them in the country, representing roughly 6.7% of the population.
It’s hard to ignore the trajectory here. Canada saw a significant increase in immigration and temporary migration, and now the same government that facilitated that surge is backtracking.
Yet, it seems like Canadian politicians are much more comfortable debating Trump rather than dissecting how the country ended up in this situation.
Unexpected Threats
Amid Trump’s latest comments, Prime Minister Mark Carney has raised an even more alarming subject: the prospect of war with the United States.
When asked by the New York Times about the potential for American military actions against Canada, Carney mentioned he had considered this “extreme tail risk.” He insisted that acknowledging an American invasion was “not a base case,” presenting it merely as an exercise in “risk management.”
It feels surreal to hear a Canadian prime minister openly contemplate the possibility of a U.S. invasion. While Canada’s current military relations with the U.S. are collaborative, with both being founding members of NATO and jointly managing NORAD, Carney’s comments reflect an unusual tension. The historical backdrop of the War of 1812 is often referenced here, but Canada and the U.S. have generally been partners in defense rather than adversaries.
Considering the current military imbalance—where Canada’s armed forces have significantly diminished since their peak during World War II—this hypothetical seems even more outlandish. Canada’s military struggles with recruitment and outdated equipment, which raises serious questions about the feasibility of any such scenario.
Canadian Politics in Flux
Carney’s remarks could have been just a peculiar moment in diplomatic discussions, but coincidentally, Trump is also playing a central role in Canadian politics.
In British Columbia, Premier David Eby has called for an early provincial election, citing an “existential moment” for the province, stating the threat comes from, yes, Donald Trump.
Eby claimed, “Donald Trump is attacking our jobs, driving up costs, and threatening our ability to make decisions for ourselves,” as he announced this election.
It’s important to note that the interests of two countries often diverge. Canada has enjoyed substantial benefits from its relationship with the U.S., but conflicts over trade and defense are nothing new. Trump’s tariffs, for instance, have hurt Canadian industries and have sparked irritation over his insinuations about Canada becoming the 51st state. Such tensions can happen when two sovereign nations pursue their own objectives.
Still, Canadian politicians seem increasingly fixated on these frictions. Trump, in this case, has become quite a useful figure for them to rally against.
However, many of the issues Trump highlights were indeed made in Canada.
He didn’t create the housing crisis or the growing population of temporary residents, nor did he set the very immigration targets that the Liberal government is now trying to cut back on. Those decisions, ultimately, were made by Canadian leaders.
Moving forward, as the government aims to adjust its immigration strategy, they will find it increasingly difficult to sidestep accountability for their past actions. Refuting Trump’s exaggerations does not erase the trail of decisions that have brought Canada to its current crossroads.
Canadian leaders might find it more productive to engage in introspection, rather than merely pointing fingers at what Trump says.
