Jamie Sarkonak: Why one man’s migrant-running operation was excused by Canadian officials

Advertisement 1 This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Breadcrumb Trail Links HomeNP Comment Jamie Sarkonak: Why one man's migrant-running operation was excused by Canadian officials He drove people within the U.S. to the Canada border so they could walk over and make an asylum claim, but we can't ban him for it Author of the article: By Jamie Sarkonak Published Sep 04, 2026 Last updated 1 hour ago 4 minute read Join the conversation Approximately one hundred people gathered at Peace Arch Park at the US-Canada border to support Canada-US relations Saturday, April 5, 2025. PHOTO BY JASON PAYNE/PNG Article content Helping migrants come to Canada for the purpose of making asylum claims is little different from running a tour operation in the area around the border, says Canada’s immigration board. It’s yet another entry on the long list of ways in which people can exploit our system with impunity. Article content The matter was decided by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada back in March, but was only published online days ago. A “foreign national” named Kevin Franklin — most likely an American, seeing that is where he was working from, though his country isn’t identified — found himself before the tribunal because Public Safety Canada had declared him inadmissible on the grounds that he was believed to be a human smuggler. Article content RECOMMENDED VIDEOS Article content Article content Franklin, for his part, admitted to “having transported individuals near the Canadian border on three occasions,” but denied that he facilitated their movement across the border. He also denied that he was in a criminal organization. Article content Right? The National Post newsletter that doesn’t hold back, giving readers the unvarnished truth on media, politics and culture. Sign Up By signing up, you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Article content The first of the three occasions took place in July 2025. Franklin drove a woman who paid him US$425 (C$590) to a location only a few metres away from the Canadian border, where she crossed on foot. She later claimed asylum. Article content The second involved Franklin driving a man he described as a friend — but who knows — to Plattsburgh, N.Y., which is near the Canadian border. The friend found his way to Canada and claimed asylum. Article content In a third instance, the “phone number…