A Canadian anti-war organization is urging Ottawa to halt the sale of armoured vehicles manufactured in Brampton that are being deployed by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, arguing there is “no justification” for Canadian-made military equipment to be used amid escalating violence on American streets.
World Beyond War Canada says the sale of 20 Senator armoured vehicles, produced by Brampton-based Roshel Inc. and valued at approximately $10 million, should be cancelled immediately. The group says the vehicles are now being used by ICE agents during immigration enforcement operations that have sparked widespread concern and public outrage in the United States.
The group’s criticism comes as images and reports circulate of the Brampton-built vehicles being used during confrontations between federal immigration officers and civilians. World Beyond War Canada says recent fatal encounters involving U.S. citizens underscore why Canadian-made armoured vehicles should not be deployed in such contexts.
The organization points to two recent deaths in Minneapolis involving ICE agents, including the fatal shooting of a mother of three and the killing of a nurse who was attempting to provide medical aid to a protester. Both individuals were U.S.-born citizens, incidents that have intensified scrutiny of immigration enforcement tactics.
Roshel’s Senator vehicle is marketed as a versatile armoured platform capable of serving as a personnel carrier, command vehicle, law enforcement unit, or medical evacuation vehicle. The vehicle can also be equipped with mine-resistant technology designed to withstand powerful explosive blasts.
Procurement documents indicate Roshel could fulfill the ICE order within 30 days, though neither the company nor ICE has publicly commented on the current status of the sale. Global Affairs Canada has declined to comment, and the federal government has previously said it was not contacted regarding export permits for the transaction.
The controversy has drawn political attention. Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles has publicly called for the cancellation of the contract, accusing ICE of acting with impunity and urging the province to stop compromising Canadian values. British Columbia’s attorney general has also voiced concern, suggesting Canadian businesses must consider whether their actions are contributing to a crackdown in the U.S. that many are watching with alarm.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford initially praised the deal when it became public, calling it a positive development for Ontario manufacturing. More recently, however, Ford has distanced himself from the sale, stating that provincial governments do not direct private companies on whom they sell military equipment to.
World Beyond War Canada argues the issue goes beyond a single contract, criticizing Canada’s broader push to expand military spending and arms exports. The group says many workers in the defence industry would prefer to apply their skills to non-military production and that Canada should focus its industrial expertise on civilian needs rather than weapons.
The organization has previously staged protests at Roshel’s Brampton facility over arms exports, including a now-halted shipment of armoured vehicles to Israel. Roshel has also supplied vehicles to Ukraine and employed refugees from the conflict at its Brampton plant.
As debate continues, critics say the sale raises difficult questions about accountability, ethics, and the role Canadian manufacturing should play in global security and enforcement operations, particularly when those operations are drawing increasing international condemnation.