The following op-ed by Sharon DeSousa, PSAC National President, and Mark Weber, CIU National President, was published in the Hill Times

Like many of us across the country, we have been following the rapidly deteriorating relationship with the United States with growing concern. At the heart of the conflict is the threat of border security. Our two nations have proudly shared the longest undefended border in the world for generations — a strong and reliable partnership that is now being questioned by the Trump administration.

Canada’s nearly 9,000 Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) law enforcement staff have always held up their end of the bargain; they are Canada's first line of defense, halting the trafficking of drugs, firearms and stolen vehicles across our borders while making the trade that drives our economy possible.

Despite Trump’s grand claims, it’s more and more clear this trade dispute isn’t about drugs and migrants flowing across the border to our southern friends.

Just 0.2% of the fentanyl seized entering the US comes across the Canadian border. To put that into perspective, of the 21,889 pounds of fentanyl seized last year by US border authorities, only 43 pounds originated from Canada. That hardly sounds like Canada is the source of the problem — which the US Drug Enforcement Administration itself recognizes: Canada is not even listed as a source country in its 2024 National Drug Threat Assessment report.

Motivations for this rocky relationship aside, one thing is perfectly clear: Canada’s border security is more important now than ever before.

Ironically, the government has failed to seize this opportunity to work directly with the very people tasked with protecting our borders. The government's proposed solution — enhanced border security through drones and helicopters — fundamentally misunderstands the nature of border protection. Make no mistake, technology plays an important role, but it cannot replace the expertise and skill of trained professionals. No automated system can match a border officer's ability to exercise critical judgment in complex situations. Machines cannot replace people.

As our relationship with the United States enters turbulent waters, we need our border services operating at peak efficiency. The impending tariffs will inevitably increase processing times at our ports of entry. Without adequate staffing, we risk creating bottlenecks that could further strain our economic relationships and compromise our national security.

The solution begins with the federal government committing to sustainable, consistent funding for border operations. This is not just about maintaining current operations — it's about building capacity for the increased demands we now face.

Next, we must launch an aggressive recruitment campaign to reverse the Harper-era staffing cuts and build additional training facilities to ensure CBSA has the capacity to fulfill its mandate in the face of these new border challenges. We need a holistic strategy that considers both the immediate staffing pressures and the increased workload if new tariffs are put in place.

We also must recognize the risks border officers face every day by providing them with the same equitable retirement benefits as other law enforcement agencies across Canada. Not only will this allow frontline workers to retire with dignity, but it will serve as a strong recruitment tool.

It’s time for the federal government to recognize the gravity of this moment.

Canada's economic prosperity depends on maintaining efficient and secure border operations. The combination of new tariffs and reduced border services funding creates unnecessary risks to both our security and economy.

This isn’t the time for half-measures and harmful public service cuts. We need decisive action to strengthen our borders and our public service, not weaken them. The safety of our communities — and the strength of our economy depend on it.