End of the American dream: Over 50 Canadians in ICE custody amid rising fears and legal uncertainty

Biden-era enforcement machine now supercharged under President Donald Trump’s new immigration crackdown.

Global Affairs Canada says it's aware of at least 55 Canadian citizens being held by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). But for the families of those detained, that number is more than a statistic.

Frank Olvera and his wife, Cynthia Olivera, a Canadian-born woman who’s lived in Los Angeles for decades, thought they were finally taking the right step, completing an interview for her US citizenship. Instead, Olivera was arrested on the spot.


“They took my wife, put her in handcuffs, and swept her away,” Olvera told CBC. “No due process.”

The arrest was reportedly linked to a 1999 border incident, when Olivera tried to return to the US after attending her mother’s funeral in Canada. Because she was pregnant at the time and planned to give birth in the US, she was initially refused entry.

Today, she is being held at a detention facility in El Paso, Texas. Her husband says she has endured substandard conditions and repeated transfers. “They’re treated like animals,” he said. “Sometimes they get hot food, sometimes they don’t.”

A Montreal entrepreneur trapped

Paula Callejas, a 45-year-old Montreal resident, had been working to finalize a US work visa for her swimwear business when she was arrested in Florida on a misdemeanor charge. Despite pleading not guilty, she was transferred to ICE custody and her family hasn’t had reliable updates since.

“We don’t know where she is from day to day,” a family member said, describing her situation as a “nightmare.”

ICE told CBC News that Callejas “seems” to be in El Paso, the same facility as Olivera, but could not confirm details.

The surge in detentions follows a series of executive orders signed by President Trump earlier this year. According to senior officials, ICE is now under pressure to carry out 3,000 arrests per day, up from about 650 during the earlier months of his second term.

Earlier this week, Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem toured a controversial new detention center in Florida dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz." Noem defended the policy, saying, “We are going after murderers and rapists and traffickers.”

But the human toll is hitting far beyond that target.

“I'm ashamed to be an American right now”

Frank Olvera, a third-generation American and Trump voter, says the experience has shaken his faith in the system. “I turn on the TV and see them chasing brown people,” he said. “This is not what I voted for.”

Olvera says he’s willing to pay for his wife’s deportation, even offer to fly ICE agents back to the US, just to get her home to Canada and restart the citizenship process from there.

The Canadian government says it’s offering consular assistance and trying to locate all detained citizens, but privacy laws restrict the information it can release.

Meanwhile, some detained Canadians have already faced devastating consequences. Johnny Noviello, another Canadian in ICE custody, died last week. His death remains under investigation.

For families like Callejas’s and Olivera’s, the uncertainty is suffocating.

“After all this,” Callejas’s family member said, “she just wants to get out. The dream is over.”