Canada Deploys Black Hawk Choppers Along US Border

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JAN 16

Above: A sign marks the international boundary between Canada and the US in Blaine, Washington, US, on Dec. 18, 2024. Image copyright: David Ryder/Contributor/Bloomberg via Getty Imagesstory last updated JAN 17

The Facts

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) announced Wednesday plans to deploy two new Sikorsky Black Hawk helicopters — leased from an Ottawa-based aviation firm — to patrol the Canada-US border.
The move is part of its $1.3B border security plan — which includes 60 new drones and surveillance towers, as well as mobile x-rays and chemical analyzers — drawn up following US Pres.-elect Donald Trump's comments concerning the introduction of tariffs between the US and Canada.
Canada's Public Safety Minister David McGuinty has said the chopper deployment would begin Friday, three days before Trump's inauguration which is set for Jan. 20.

The Spin

Right narrative

Canada's deployment of Black Hawk helicopters has long been needed to tackle the rise in illegal border crossings and human smuggling. The move comes as a response to mounting pressure, as border security has become a central issue in Canada's relationship with the US, with increasing encounters and threats prompting both nations to fortify their defenses against trafficking and unauthorized migration.

New York Times ABC news

Left narrative

Canada's decision reflects a costly, fear-driven response to migration, and chimes of the exclusionary politics of the incoming Trump administration. Framing asylum seekers as security threats erodes Canada's humanitarian commitments while lining the pockets of private contractors in the border surveillance industry. Rather than escalating militarization, Canada should focus on strengthening its asylum system, safeguarding human rights, and resisting the dehumanization of those seeking protection.

The Globe and Mail The Conversation