Winnipeg mayor makes plans for American ‘refugees’ fleeing ICE

Winnipeg’s Mayor Scott Gillingham directed his city to consider preparing for a possible influx of American refugees.

Source: X

Author: Quinn Patrick

Winnipeg’s Mayor Scott Gillingham directed his city to consider preparing for a possible influx of American refugees, citing immigration raids in neighbouring Minneapolis and what he calls the “imperialist mindset” of the United States government.

Gillingham is ordering city services to prepare for what he admitted were “outlandish” scenarios, including the deployment of Canadian military personnel.

Gillingham also expressed sympathy for the mayor of Minneapolis, Winnipeg’s sister city, over the ongoing unrest between ICE immigration agents and protesters following the shooting death of Renee Good earlier this month.

“There’s no road map to deal with chaos. What we’re seeing out of the United States consistently from the leader is very chaotic,” he told reporters at Winnipeg’s City Hall on Tuesday.

“So that’s why I think we as municipal leaders need to be standing in solidarity with our premiers and with our prime minister as well, to sometimes respond and other times, certainly, to take a defensive and protective position for our interests.”

Gillingham said he tasked his staff with creating a series of questions for the city’s emergency services to ensure their preparedness, including some that may “seem to be outlandish.”

“I’m not living in alarm. I just want to make sure that we are as a city well prepared for what may come,” he said.

The goal is to prepare for the possibility of an influx of U.S. residents entering Canada to seek refuge, as well as ways the city could support the families of local military personnel should they be deployed elsewhere.

Gillingham said he reached out to Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey via text, but has not yet heard back.

The two spoke virtually last year after the U.S. first imposed tariffs on Canadian exports.

“That was the big concern at the time. Since then, everything in the world’s gotten scarier,” Gillingham said. “I don’t think we ever imagined, as Canadians, we’d be in a place like we’re in today, in a world like we’re in today, when what we’re seeing now in the United States is unthinkable.”

Gillingham’s office did not respond to Juno News’ request for comment regarding what questions or potential scenarios were asked of Winnipeg’s emergency services.