Congratulations to all Americans

Sanity has returned to the White House. We want to congratulate all the Americans around the world who voted for Biden. Over the past 4 years, I have met with dozens, or possibly hundreds, of people with horror stories. Americans who want to claim refugee status in Canada because they believed the Trump government would kill them. Skilled workers in the USA who lost their work permits and they want to immigration north. Foreign investors who changed their minds and decided that Canada was their best option as they read of racist and discriminatory policies. I have heard countless stories of the inhumane treatment of asylum seekers in the USA and folks desperate to find paths around the Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA). It has been rough.

We have tried to help as many people as possible. It has been very clear the situation in the USA has been dire. Blatant breaches of international laws. Clear violations of human rights principles. 

Finally (finally!), we have hope that the Biden government will correct some of the wrongs and return the American government to sanity. We have hope the USA will return to a country that values its relationships with its neighbours and that values human life.

I want to be clear about one point. Trump has been great for our business. These past 4 years have been extremely busy. In the past, Canada was competing with the USA for the best IT professionals, investors and skilled workers. Trump changed that. Suddenly, there was no question that it was better for immigrants to come to Canada. But each new file that we get from clients who are fleeing Trump policies is bitter-sweet. We love to help but we also want the USA to return to its humanitarian roots. We have hope that Biden will lead the USA on a better path.

Personally, I was invited to Las Vegas to meet with wealthy investors from around the world, mainly China, Vietnam and UAE, as they lost confidence in the EB-5 program and they turned their attention to Canada. We have had many opportunities to assist clients who would not have considered Canada before Trump. Trump destroyed the reputation of Americans around the world. I suppose I should thank Trump for indirectly offering these opportunities. I will say that I would have traded them in a second for an American government that did not have abusive policies.

Over the past 4 years, we have gone through countless boxes of tissue from people recounting the abuse and suffering they faced in the USA. Advocates across the board have been vocal with systemic abuse in the American system.

My mother was born in the USA and I have family members in California, New York, Florida, Maryland, Minnesota and other states. We have even helped my family members who have plans to move to Canada based on their fears. Most of my family members voted for Biden – but not all. We do what we can to help.

I am optimistic. I was very moved by the poem by Youth poet laureate Amanda Gorman at Biden’s inauguration:

We’ve braved the belly of the beast

We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace

And the norms and notions

of what just is

Isn’t always just-ice