A Lonely Christmas for Families Separated by Closed Borders

U.S. Customs officers speak with people in a car beside a sign saying that the U.S./Canada border is closed in Lansdowne, Ontario, Canada, on March 22, 2020. Lars Hagberg/AFP via Getty Images

This will be the first year Rancho Cucamonga resident and kindergarten teacher Kent Russell will be separated from his family for the holidays.

He moved to California 20 years ago, and usually returns to his native Canada for a couple weeks for Christmas and New Year’s. With COVID-19 restrictions in place, he’s unable to cross the border to see his family.