Oh, our friends to the north. We love them, but because Canada is a nation run by liberals, they can be a little quirky sometimes. That might be the nicest way to describe a recent Toronto City Council motion that demands that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents stay out of Toronto. Yes, that's right, Canadians don't want a U.S. agency - which has no jurisdiction in their country - in a Canadian city.
Ummm maybe I’m just having a blonde moment here…but Toronto is still in Canada right? Why would US ICE be outside the US? Did they become the 51st state and I missed it?
— Fairy Goddess (@FairyGoddess101) March 28, 2026
On Thursday, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow pushed the anti-ICE motion through the City Council, which would prevent any deployment of any ICE agents in Toronto, and also prevent Canadian government officials from accepting any assistance from ICE in the run-up to the FIFA World Cup Games. But just one problem: the motion passed after the U.S. consulate in Toronto stated there were no plans for any ICE operations in Canada, which, of course, is a foreign country.
Mayor Chow even doubled down on her anti-ICE message. In a social media post, she stated:
“ICE has no place in this city. Toronto is about to welcome thousands and thousands of families because of FIFA World Cup, where everyone belongs. Everyone is welcome. So stay out, ICE. We do not need you here.”
Chow's demand was backed up by a nearly unanimous vote, with just one council member opposing it. City Councilwoman Lillie Cheng provided a summary of the motion that included the statement, “ICE is known to operate beyond American borders, including at times within Canada.”
Wait, what? Cheng wasn't the only one laboring under this mistaken impression. Deputy Mayor Paul Ainslie, who seconded Chow's motion, also claimed in a statement that ICE is present and operating in Canadian cities. He stated,
“According to ICE’s own website, the agency has established offices in five Canadian cities: Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Ottawa. According to Canadian immigration and legal experts I have spoken with, they have said the offices are not authorized to carry out independent investigations or carry out immigration enforcement. But they are here…..”
So, where on earth are Canadians getting all of this? Here's where: according to the Department of Homeland Security website, there are ICE offices in Canada, including Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal, and even its capital, Ottawa. But they are part of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is part of ICE within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But sorry, Canada, you're not that special. There are roughly 90 of these offices in over 50 countries around the world.
🤣 Really? Wow!!! When does ICE have jurisdiction in Canada?
— Brian Murphy (@BrianAKMurphy) March 27, 2026
It is unclear whether both the mayor and the deputy mayor are aware, but the HSI sub-agency works in tandem with Canadian law enforcement and does nothing but target transnational crime. They do not enforce U.S. immigration law in Canada, and are not even permitted to engage in independent investigations within Canada. Had Deputy Mayor Ainslie read a bit further in the Toronto Star article he provided for proof of ICE presence, he would have read this information.
Apparently, the good people of Toronto can't take yes for an answer. An ICE spokesperson confirmed that:
“ICE offices in Canada are staffed by HSI personnel only. HSI personnel in Canada have not and do not conduct immigration enforcement actions within Canada.”
Officials in Toronto were also informed that ICE was not conducting any immigration operations there or in any other Canadian city. So, why do Canadians think this is happening? Are they listening to American Democratic politicians or maybe left-wing American media? Where else would they be getting that much misinformation?
So Canadians, relax, ICE is busy with other things, like keeping America safe.
ICE has not authority in Canada, dope.
— Jim Verdi (@jjverdi) March 27, 2026
ICE and CBP continue to put themselves in harm's way in order to protect America’s sovereignty and to keep our streets safe.
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