DHS intensifies vetting of Canadian citizens with Iranian ties

Canada’s response has been notably restrained, with its advisory only warning its citizens that visiting the US longer than 30 days requires registration with American authorities.

By Jewish Breaking News

Canadian nationals born in Iran are facing unprecedented scrutiny at U.S. checkpoints as the Department of Homeland Security intensifies security vetting of foreign travelers with ties to terror-sponsoring states.

Immigration attorneys report to the Daily Mail a surge in cases where U.S. border officials have denied entry to Canadian citizens born in countries like Iran and Afghanistan, despite their holding valid documentation and having previously traveled to the United States without incident.

“Some male Iranians are conscripted into the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which is listed in both the U.S. and Canada as a terrorist organization,” explained Melissa Babel, founder of Babel Immigration Law.

In one case, a business traveler who regularly crosses the border for meetings was not only refused entry, but had his trusted-traveler Nexus card revoked within 48 hours of the incident.

In another, an entire family vacation was derailed when both Iranian-Canadian parents and their Canadian-born daughter were turned away.

“Canadians, entrepreneurs, persons that want to move to the U.S. through a work visa, even persons that are going to visit family for a period longer than a month – they are 100 per cent going to be experiencing a high level of scrutiny,” says Sofia Hamayun, an immigration adviser at Lexaltico.

While Britain and Germany issued formal travel advisories after similar border incidents, Canada’s response has been notably restrained, with its advisory only warning its citizens that visiting the US longer than 30 days requires registration with American authorities.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration is reportedly considering implementing formal travel restrictions targeting citizens from countries deemed security threats, including Afghanistan, Syria, Iran, Yemen, and Somalia.