Gov. Gianforte Urges Pres. Biden to Reopen U.S.-Canada Border

• September 20 2021

HELENA, Mont. – After the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today announced it again would extend the closure of the border between the U.S. and Canada for another month, Governor Greg Gianforte urged President Joe Biden to fully reopen the northern border for trade and travel after months of repeated delays.

“While our nation’s southern border remains porous and insecure, with drug cartels and human traffickers taking full advantage of the situation, the federal government continues to lock down our northern border, hurting Montana families and our small business owners who depend on trade and travel and who have suffered from the border’s closure for more than 18 months,” Gov. Gianforte wrote to the president.

The governor outlined the real-world impact of the continued border closure on hardworking Montana families, citing a small business owner in Shelby who has lost 20 percent of his business. He also stressed the human impact of the administration’s policies, recounting heartbreaking stories he heard from families in a northern border community.

“Those who have been able to see their family have been forced to visit with a fence separating them, preventing them from embracing their loved ones. A mother described how her four-year-old son could not hug his dad. Given its impact on families, the continued closure of the U.S.-Canada border is unconscionable,” the governor wrote.

Gov. Gianforte concluded, “I respectfully request you reconsider the continued closure of the northern border and reverse DHS’s decision. It is time to safely, fully, and immediately reopen the border for trade and travel.”

The governor’s full letter to the president, urging him to reopen the U.S.-Canada border for travel and trade, may be found here.

Gov. Gianforte has repeatedly called on Pres. Biden to reopen the northern border, which has been closed since March 2020.

On July 21, DHS announced it was extending its temporary restriction prohibiting non-essential cross-border travel from Canada through at least August 21.

In response, Gov. Gianforte, the governors of Idaho and North Dakota, and the premiers of Alberta and Saskatchewan on July 23 urged Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to work together to reach an agreement allowing for the immediate movement of citizens, goods, and tourists between the two nations. The leaders’ full letter may be found here.

On July 30, the governor joined a bipartisan group of northern-border governors asking U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to develop and execute a plan to safely open the border. Read the full letter here.

On August 16, alongside American and Canadian leaders at the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region summit, Gov. Gianforte addressed the continued border closure, saying, “Days after Canada announced it would reopen its border, the Biden administration announced it would extend the closure of the U.S. border. The president’s unnecessary delays in reopening the U.S. border come at the expense of hardworking Montanans, Americans, and Canadians. They must end.”

On August 18, the governor visited Mark’s Tire and Alignment in Shelby to receive a firsthand update on how the continued closure of the U.S. northern border has negatively impacted businesses in Montana. Due to the border’s continued closure, Mark’s Tire and Alignment has seen a 20 percent drop in business.

On August 20, DHS extended the closure of the U.S.-Canada border for another 30 days

On August 26. Gov. Gianforte traveled to Eureka to host a roundtable discussion on the impact of the extended closure of the U.S.-Canada border on families, businesses, and communities in Lincoln County. Business owners, public officials, and community members reported a severe loss of revenue in Eureka and provided heartbreaking stories of families being split across the border.

On September 20, DHS again extended the closure of the U.S.-Canada border for 30 more days.

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