Border Chief Says She Was Unaware Officers Are Frustrated by Limited Powers to Catch Illegal Crossers

Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) President Erin O'Gorman waits to appear before the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in the Parliamentary Prescient of Ottawa on Dec. 3, 2024. Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press

The border agency chief said she learned from media that her officers are frustrated about not being able to react when they notice individuals crossing the border illegally near a port of entry due to a jurisdictional issue.

“That has never been raised to my attention,” Erin O'Gorman, president of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA), said while appearing before the House of Commons public safety committee on Dec. 3.