Desolate Deadly Desperation – Winnipeg Free Press

EMERSON — A long-closed border crossing on the edge of this Manitoba community is haunted these days with derelict or derelict buildings that give it the appearance of a ghost town.

Once a busy hub, the abandoned Noyes-Emerson East Checkpoint still receives regular visitors. It remains one of the most common places where people cross Manitoba's border with the U.S. illegally, for asylum or other reasons.

“Going to other places, you can freeze or be exposed to other elements,” said Cpl. James Buhler, a long-time member of the Manitoba RCMP's Integrated Border Enforcement Team. “This is not a dangerous road. However, it applies there in terms of legality.

“We want to encourage people to do it legally and go to the ports of entry.”

On Tuesday morning, a U.S. Border Patrol helicopter buzzed overhead as Buehler was riding. Free press Site in Emerson, across from Noyes, Minn. and other places where people are usually detained.

As crossings have slowed during the COVID-19 pandemic, interceptions are on the rise on both sides. The death of a family of four from India in January 2022 did not deter others from making the perilous journey.

Outside of Emerson, about 100 kilometers south of Winnipeg, the terrain is flat and open, leading some boarders to think it's just a hike.

In winter, fields and farm roads are usually covered with snow, and there is no shelter from the freezing wind. Other seasons usually bring floods and cold nights that can still be damaging.

Buhler, surrounded by hollowed-out fields at the turn of a dirt road, stood next to a yellow, south-facing sign warning anyone attempting to cross just west of the border crossings in North America, Emerson and Pembina.

The fields were mostly bare and temperatures of -2 C were uncharacteristic for February, but that didn't mean the journey north or south was going to be any easier.

“It would be difficult even today,” Buehler said. “At this temperature you can easily get hypothermia. People don't know how hard it is to cross.”

When found, they are often tired, cold or hungry after walking for miles. Some were frostbitten or injured from trips or falls.

On Monday, officers found a family of Romanian nationals traveling to the U.S., including an infant, after their car got stuck in a ditch west of Gretna, Buehler said.

Most people don't hear about rescue efforts.

“Thanks to our technology, we've been able to save several lives,” Buehler said.

Many try to cross at night. Some try to avoid detection by attempting to do so during an attack, but that increases the risks and also puts officers at risk, he said.

Two years ago, a mother, father and their two children, ages three and 11, froze to death in a field east of Emerson during a -35-degree overnight blizzard while trying to travel to the United States. Seven more Indian citizens were found by US border officials.

US authorities arrested a 49-year-old Florida man at the border and charged him with human smuggling, alleging he was part of a larger operation.

“Any fatality is a terrible call to go to,” said Buhler, who was involved in the search for the family. “When they say it's a big group, it's a family, in the back of your mind you think it's not going to end well.”

It's not uncommon for people to travel halfway around the world to try their luck at the Manitoba border. Some complete the treacherous journey through Latin America and across the Mexico-US border before heading north.

Manitoba's IBET patrols nearly 500 kilometers of the world's longest international border, where cameras, drones and other equipment help monitor the vast area and detect crossings.

There are examples of people learning about Emerson or smuggling rings through social media posts or videos, Buehler said.

According to Buehler, most involve some level of organization or coaching. Some smugglers are also refugees, he added.

After the ceremony, some people will be picked up by a waiting car. Others go to the nearest community to call a taxi, look for shelter or make a police inquiry, believing that this will be the start of an asylum request.

About once a month in the summer and rarely in the winter, someone comes to Emerson's Maple Leaf Hotel after they've passed, says staffer Guri Dillon. The motel is located about 200 meters from the border.

“They spend hours asking about a room or asking me to call 911,” Dillon said.

He recounted the journey of a Colombian man who crossed at 6 a.m. on an October day.

“He was frozen. He asked me to turn on the heater because he was very tired,” said Dillon, who contacted the police at the man's request. “He said he wanted to go to Pennsylvania. I said, “This is Canada, this is not America.''

On January 27, US-side technology detected seven men from Chad walking along the railroad tracks adjacent to the old stations at the Noyes-East Emerson border.

When IBET officers stopped a rental car near Dominion City, they detained asylum seekers and arrested a 49-year-old Calgary man on suspicion of human smuggling.

Four men from Chad were found by RCMP after they crossed into Emerson in December.

People often run away from conflict, persecution, or economic hardship. Chad, located in northern central Africa, has been in turmoil since the 2021 assassination of its longtime president, Idriss Deby.

Buehler said it's important to look at things from the perspective of a border crosser and understand why they are taking such a big risk to enter Canada.

Manitoba RCMP apprehended 77 asylum seekers between ports of entry in 2023, according to federal data. About 40 percent of those who try to cross are never caught, Buehler estimated.

When found, police conduct thorough checks to determine whether people have criminal records or are wanted abroad for terrorism or other reasons, he said.

Otherwise, they will be sent to the Canada Border Services Agency for immigration processing.

Last year's changes to the Canada-US Safe Third Country Agreement require people who enter between ports of entry to be returned to the US and, conversely, to start an asylum application if found within 14 days.

Limited exceptions allow applicants to stay in Canada, a country that is more hospitable to many refugees than others.

The agreement does not stop irregular crossings

Refugee advocates have suggested that the extension of the agreement will not end the irregular crossings.

They warned that people would choose dangerous routes or fall into the hands of smugglers who value profit above human life to enter Canada.

Emily Halldorson, coordinator of the Association of Newcomer Service Organizations of Manitoba, said: “It encourages people to go into hiding for the first two weeks when they can file an internal complaint.” Free press last week.

“We assumed that people would leave themselves in a vulnerable position. Everyone has the right to seek asylum.”

The Emerson area has more crossings into the U.S. than Canada, Buehler said.

According to US Customs and Border Protection, some migrants fly to Canada and try to cross the northern border because they think it will be easier to cross the southern border with Mexico.

US CBP reported 300 “encounters” in the Grand Forks sector, which stretches from North Dakota to Wisconsin, from October 2022 to September 2023. Mexican nationals typically account for the highest proportion of panic attacks.

“No one wants to see a bad result”–RCMP Cpl. James Buhler

Out of 28 “encounters” reported in January, 18 involved Romanian citizens.

On the Canadian side, Buehler worked at the peak of northbound crossings in 2017 when migrants flocked to Emerson. That year, the Manitoba RCMP arrested a record 1,018 asylum seekers.

The increase was due in part to tougher policies under former President Barack Obama's administration and fears of a crackdown on migrants when then-US President Donald Trump took office.

“One night we had 26 people,” Buehler said.

After 2017, when governments imposed restrictions on travel due to COVID-19, the rate of arrests decreased in 2021, slowing to (19).

As he drove along Border Avenue, which runs parallel to the border east of Emerson, Buehler surveyed the desolate landscape. Officers often look for signs of people or new locations.

Buehler knows there will be more, but he urges them to think twice.

“You risk your safety with environmental conditions and terrain,” he said. “No one wants to see a bad result.”

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