November 17, 2016
Fleeing America, destination Canada
Originally published November 18, 2016
To this day, I have yet to meet a single American who fled their homeland because Donald Trump became its President. Back in 2016, when Trump first won, I drew a cartoon poking fun at all the talk about Democrats packing their bags for Canada. It showed the belongings of undocumented migrants left behind at the southern border and, in the north, a similar scattering of items left by Democrats supposedly fleeing Trump’s America. The joke, of course, was that while lots of people said they were going to leave, very few actually followed through. Turns out, crossing a border is easier said than done.
February 6, 2024
Fast forward to 2024, and here we are again. Trump 2.0 is in full swing, and the same old chorus is back: “I’m moving to Canada!” Real estate websites are seeing spikes in searches from U.S. visitors. Immigration websites are getting hammered with traffic. On paper, it all sounds like history repeating itself. But just like in 2016, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a mass exodus of anti-Trump Americans to actually materialize.
It’s not that people don’t want to go. For some, Canada is like this magical escape hatch—a land of universal healthcare, politeness, and hockey. But the reality? It’s not so simple. Immigration takes time, money, and mountains of paperwork. And with Canada’s foreign buyers’ ban still in place, Americans can’t just waltz in and buy a house in Calgary or Vancouver. Even renting isn’t straightforward when you need a visa to stick around longer than a tourist.
What feels different this time around, though, is what’s happening at the other border. Trump’s pledge to ramp up mass deportations has thrown undocumented migrants into crisis. While some Americans dream of leaving for political reasons, many undocumented people are staring down the possibility of being forcibly removed from their homes. For them, Canada isn’t a fantasy escape; it’s a potential lifeline. If even a fraction of Trump’s deportation plans become reality, the pressure on Canada’s border could get very real, very fast.
January 19, 2024
The contrasts are striking. One group is toying with the idea of moving north because they’re unhappy with who’s in charge. The other might be forced to move—or try to—just to survive. But both groups face the same hurdles: Canada’s immigration system isn’t built to handle a surge like this, whether it’s disillusioned Democrats or desperate asylum seekers.
In the end, the real story isn’t about who’s leaving or staying. It’s about what drives people to even think about leaving the place they call home—whether it’s political disillusionment, fear, or sheer survival. For all the noise about migration, the belongings at the border, both literal and metaphorical, remind us that the decision to leave is never simple. – Graeme MacKay