Device Searches Not a Pattern, Says U.S. Envoy as Canadians Report Border Anxiety
OTTAWA — U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra is pushing back against recent Canadian government travel warnings, saying reports of device searches and detentions at the U.S. border are not reflective of a broader pattern.
“If a Canadian has had a disappointing experience coming into the United States, I’m not denying that it happened,” Hoekstra told The Canadian Press in an interview on Friday. “But I’m saying it’s an isolated event and it is not a pattern.”
In April, Global Affairs Canada updated its travel advisory, warning Canadians to expect heightened scrutiny at U.S. ports of entry — including possible searches of electronic devices and the risk of detainment if denied entry.
Hoekstra insists those fears are “not well-founded,” saying the U.S. does not routinely search phones at the border. “America is a welcoming place,” he said, encouraging Canadians to continue visiting and investing in the U.S.
Travel Fears and Perception Gap
The ambassador acknowledged some Canadians may feel uneasy, but suggested similar complaints have come from American travellers entering Canada. Some U.S. citizens, he said, have filed complaints with consular officials over their treatment by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).
“There may have been a Canadian border person who was having a bad day,” Hoekstra said. “We view that as an isolated event, too.”
In a statement, CBSA spokesperson Karine Martel emphasized that all officers are bound by strict codes of conduct and are expected to treat all travellers “with respect, dignity and fairness.”
Travel Down, Concerns Rising
Air travel between Canada and the U.S. has plummeted in recent months. A Flight Centre Travel Group report showed a 40% drop in cross-border flights year-over-year as of February. Data from Statistics Canada shows air travel is down 13% and land travel by nearly a third.
A Leger Marketing survey in May found that over half of Canadians believe it’s “no longer safe for all Canadians to travel to the U.S.” Nearly one-third said they personally feel unwelcome.
2SLGBTQ+ groups have also cited border scrutiny and diminished protections under the Trump administration as reasons for skipping international events in the U.S., including World Pride in Washington and UN events in New York.
Still, Hoekstra pointed to what he sees as a gap between perception and reality. He noted that even CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, who entered the U.S. with a “burner phone” due to fears of surveillance, later reported being welcomed without issue.
“Let’s get past the rhetoric,” said Hoekstra. “And look at the real experiences that people are having here.”