New York Rep. Brian Higgins, Michigan Rep. Bill Huizenga and Washington Reps. Rick Larsen and Suzan DelBene sent a letter to their Canadian counterparts on the Canada-US Interparliamentary Caucus on Friday, asking for their “assistance in addressing an issue of mutual concern: the NEXUS backlog and the continued closure of Canadian service centers.” NEXUS centers south of the border reopened in April after a pandemic-related hiatus. Canada, however, has not done the same with its registration centers because of concerns about extending legal protections to US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers operating on Canadian soil — protections those same officers already enjoy. in pre-clearance areas in Canada airports. The federal government has not said when — if ever — those Canadian offices will reopen. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said late last month that he was “willing to bring it back.” Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., Kristen Hillman, said the U.S. is holding the NEXUS program “hostage,” seeking legal immunity for officers working in a Canadian-based office. US Ambassador to Canada David Cohen, meanwhile, said “it’s Canada’s problem to solve” and the US is dead set against reinstating the program without legal rights for its officers. In the meantime, cross-border travelers are left waiting for a pass that could make the sometimes tortuous process of crossing the Canada-US border much easier. US representatives are also outraged. “With appreciation for the implications, sensitivities and complex nature of these negotiations and the sovereignty of both countries, we sincerely hope that our two nations, who share a history of political cooperation for mutual benefit, are able to resolve outstanding issues quickly to reopen. NEXUS enrollment centers in Canada,” the representatives said Friday in their letter to Conservative Senator Michael MacDonald and Liberal MP John McKay, the co-chairs of the cross-parliamentary group. The NEXUS program is at a breaking point after years of disruption caused by the pandemic. There is a backlog of well over 300,000 applications and an average processing time of 16 months. It’s also a problem that disproportionately affects Canada: 80 percent of NEXUS members are from here. Higgins, a Democrat who represents Buffalo and western New York in Congress, told CBC News he is beyond frustrated by the lack of resolution to the standoff. “For good reason, we are at wit’s end. This is a problem that is pervasive and growing. It is a problem that should have been addressed a long time ago,” he said. “It seems that nobody is in charge, nobody is taking responsibility for this, and that’s why it’s important to put pressure on Congress and members of parliament to say, ‘Hey, let’s fix this.’ “It works so well when it works so well. I don’t think it’s in danger of collapsing, but the problem is that something has to be done. This is a transnational issue that hurts both the US and Canada.” Rep. Brian Higgins, DN.Y., speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Higgins calls on Canada to resolve an impasse over NEXUS, the trusted traveler program. (Andrew Harnik/Pool via AP Photo) Higgins said restarting NEXUS is a way to normalize the flow of goods and people between the two countries at a time when traffic is still well below pre-pandemic levels. In fact, it’s only about 40 percent of what it was before COVID-19 hit, he said. “The biggest motivator for travel is ease of travel. Long wait times at land ports of entry will just discourage people from making that cross-border trip,” Higgins said.
Canada’s stance ‘confused’
Maryscott Greenwood, a Washington-based lobbyist and head of the Canadian American Business Council, said the NEXUS issue is “a major irritant. Democrats and Republicans are concerned about it.” “NEXUS is really hanging by a thread. Canada should be quite concerned about the future of this program if it doesn’t find a path forward,” Greenwood told CBC News. He said it is “strange” that Canada has been so reluctant to extend legal protections to U.S. CBP agents at NEXUS registration centers — privileges those officials already enjoy at advance clearance sites. (Preclearance allows US-bound passengers to clear US customs in Canada before arriving at a US airport or train station.) “Why they’ve drawn that line in the sand is confusing. I think it has to do with domestic politics,” Greenwood said. CBC News has reached out to the CBSA for comment on this story, but has yet to hear back. Greenwood, who has launched a “Save NEXUS” campaign to try to resolve the impasse, has one possible solution: “disconnecting” the current interview process. As it stands, a US CBP officer and a CBSA agent must be in the same room together at the same time for an in-person interview with a prospective NEXUS cardholder. A Nexus arrivals terminal at Macdonald–Cartier International Airport in Ottawa on January 13, 2022. (Pascal Quillé/CBSA) Under Greenwood’s proposed plan, an applicant could interview in Canada with a CBSA officer and then complete the process on their next trip to the US in a separate interview with US CBP. This is the process for Global Entry, another trusted traveler program administered by the US for non-Canadian citizens. “The Canadians would operate in Canada, the Americans would operate in the U.S. and the program would continue. I think that’s the solution and they should decide to do it immediately and start getting out of this backlog to get NEXUS up and running again.” , Greenwood said. he said.
