Mark Blinch/Reuters
The first 67 days of 2017 saw a huge spike in the number of Mexicans detained by Canadian border authorities, with more detentions made in that time than in any of the three previous years, Reuters reported Saturday. The influx of Mexican citizens, which comes after the Canadian government removed visa requirements, comes as more and more immigrants shift their focus from the U.S. to Canada in light of President Donald Trump’s ongoing crackdown on immigration. Between Jan. 1 and March 8, the Canada Border Services Agency detained 444 Mexican citizens – compared to 410 for all of 2016 and 351 for 2015, the report said. Canada's Immigration and Refugee Minister Ahmed Hussen said the situation is being closely monitored. But he warned that it would be “premature to draw conclusions or to speculate on future policy at this point,” according to Camielle Edwards, his spokeswoman. It was not immediately clear on what grounds the 444 Mexicans were detained, but the CBSA can detain foreign citizens if they pose a threat to the public, if their identity is unclear or if they are unlikely to appear for immigration proceedings in court.