OTTAWA— Yesterday, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, joined by Assistant Secretary for International Affairs Alan Bersin, traveled to Ottawa, Canada to meet with Canadian counterparts and other stakeholders to discuss collaborative efforts to expedite the secure flow of commerce and travel, as well as to improve economic opportunities for the United States and Canada.
While in Ottawa, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas met with senior Canadian officials including Deputy Minister of Public Safety François Guimont, Deputy Minister of Citizenship and Immigration Anita Biguzs, Deputy Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities Louis Lévesque, Privy Council Office Senior Advisor David Moloney, Canada Border Services Agency President Luc Portelance, members of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives as well as U.S. Ambassador to Canada Bruce Heyman, and Department of Homeland Security personnel stationed in Canada. Deputy Secretary Mayorkas also toured preclearance operations at the Ottawa International Airport.
On Feb. 24, Deputy Secretary Mayorkas traveled to Ontario, Canada where he joined Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Steven Blaney, Minister of National Defence Robert Nicholson, U.S. Senator Charles Schumer and U.S. Representative Brian Higgins to officially launch Phase II of the truck cargo pre-inspection pilot at the Peace Bridge crossing between Fort Erie, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. The pilot program is a key component of the Beyond the Border Action Plan to test the concept of conducting U.S. Customs and Border Protection primary inspection of U.S.-bound truck cargo in Canada in order to better manage the security of our shared border and improve economic opportunities for both countries.
For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.
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