United States President Joe Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday (March 24, 2023) an agreement between the countries on illegal immigration. It is valid fromthis Saturday (25.mar.2023).

With the move, a section of the border used by migrants and known as Roxham Road will be closed. The police will be authorized to send illegal immigrants to migration posts. Here is the complete of the announcement (184 KB, in English).

Roxham Road is an approximately 8 km rural road in the town of Champlain, New York (USA). It is located near the municipality of Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle, Quebec (Canada).

“Both our countries believe in safe, fair and orderly migration”said Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Biden said he applauds the neighboring country “for scaling up similar programs, opening new legal pathways for 15,000 migrants from Western Hemisphere countries to Canada”.

Biden and Trudeau also announced other measures and investments. Here are the highlights:

• environment – Canada will make a major new investment of $420 million to protect lakes in areas shared by the United States;
• Haiti – $100 million to provide police support to the Haitian National Police;
• semiconductors – $50 million through the Defense Production Act to encourage more US and Canadian companies to invest in semiconductor packages and printed circuit boards.

On his Twitter profile, Biden said that “The United States chooses to tie our future to that of Canada because we know that we will not find a better partner, a more reliable ally, a more stable friend”.

Trudeau said the two nations share “the same heart”. He also said that countries will continue to work together to “create jobs and build healthier and more sustainable economies and societies”.

Biden traveled to Ottawa, Canada on Thursday (March 23, 2023). On this occasion, he met the Canadian Prime Minister and the Governor General of Canada, Mary Simon.