Schumer calls for end to ‘flags’ at northern border

NIAGARA FALLS, NY — Canada’s processing of visas and work permits can take months when its temporary citizens apply through the traditional method.

However, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York, said there is a loophole that causes Western New York ports of entry, like the Rainbow Bridge and the Peace Bridge, “look like a merry-go-round”. He said the practice known as flagpoling, in which people enter the United States and circle flagpoles before submitting the documents upon their return, can reduce the processing time to several days.

“When someone from Canada shows up to try to do this, it takes at least 30 minutes per person to process the applications and that takes an agent away from other people wanting to get in,” Schumer said.

He said these practices created delays for others trying to enter the United States and Canada. Ken Bieger, CEO of the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission, said the problem has been around for years, but has gotten worse over the past six or seven years.

“Temporary residents of Canada who seek to repeatedly hang a flag are found to be stressed, confused, unprepared and unfamiliar with border processes. You can find individuals lining up in the middle of the night and sitting on the concrete in the center of our walkway just to be first in line,” Bieger said.

Last year, border officials said there were more than 20,000 flag-waving complaints at the northern border, with the majority occurring at the state’s three western bridges. from New York. Schumer is calling on Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship to address the gap, which he says impacts tourism, trade and public safety.

Less than a year ago, a terror scare took place at the Rainbow Bridge, where the majority leader spoke Tuesday.

“Our border workers, one of their jobs is to move trade quickly between countries, but another is to fight terrorism, another is to deal with bad people, drugs and other things who might cross the border and are hijacked by that flag,” he said.

Schumer said the use of flags is one of several factors that worsen wait times at border crossings. Another problem, he added, is an insufficient number of Border Patrol agents.

The Senate border bill, which failed last week, would have provided funding for 2,400 additional agents, but Schumer said he hoped to include it in upcoming budget negotiations this summer.