Press Releases

Today, Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) called on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to allow fully vaccinated Canadians across the border into the United States.

On July 5, Canada will begin exempting its vaccinated citizens from quarantining and testing requirements after returning from international travel. This will allow Canadians to travel and return home more freely. In a letter to DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, DelBene stressed that this news won’t help border communities unless we open our border to vaccinated Canadians.

“While this is welcome news for border communities, the economic and humanitarian benefits will not be realized if the United States does not allow vaccinated Canadians to cross our border,” DelBene said.

In 2018, nearly 7 million trips were made into Whatcom County by visitors from Canada. These visitors spent an estimated $138 million in local stores and businesses. Crossings from Canada into Whatcom County were down 98% in 2020, severely restricting the economic activity and tax revenue of these border communities.

Opening the border to Canadians would significantly benefit the isolated community of Point Roberts that has been cut off from the rest of the country during this pandemic. Like other border communities, many small businesses in Point Roberts have been forced to lay off workers, reduce hours, or shut down entirely.

“For small businesses and communities on the border to build back better, we must immediately begin the process of reopening our border,” she said.

The letter can be found here.