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People Who Fear Deportation Under President Trump Are Fleeing to Canada for Asylum

2 minute read

A handful of asylum seekers have fled the U.S. for Canada over the past week amid an immigration crackdown in America under President Donald Trump.

Reuters photographer Christinne Muschi has captured several scenes of people trekking through snowy woods to cross the U.S.-Canada border by foot and enter Hemmingford, Quebec. Among her subjects are people from Yemen and Sudan trying to get into Canada after losing hope of obtaining legal status in the U.S.

On Friday, eight people, who said they were from Sudan, made it across the border to Canada, as U.S. Border Patrol tried to stop them, Reuters reports. Four adults and four young children left a taxi by the border in Champlain, New York and ran to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police waiting on the other side.

U.S Border Patrol held one man, saying they had to verify his papers. The man then appeared to take his papers from the officer and run across the border, Reuters reports. The officer chased him but stopped once he hit the border.

Reuters reports that the officer said the man who crossed the border was in the U.S. illegally, and that he would have been detained if caught.

A man who said his name was Abdullah and that he was a student from Yemen walks towards the U.S.-Canada border to cross into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain in New York, U.S., February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi - RTSZ6Q3
A man who said his name was Abdullah and that he was a student from Yemen walks towards the U.S.-Canada border to cross into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain, N.Y., on Feb.17, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A man who claimed to be from Sudan looks out the taxi window as a U.S. border patrol officer checks his passport and visa at the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain in New York, U.S., February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi - RTSZ6PE
A man who claimed to be from Sudan looks out the taxi window as a U.S. border patrol officer checks his passport and visa at the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain, N.Y., on Feb. 17, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A man who claimed to be from Sudan throws his family's suitcases towards the border as he is detained by a U.S. border patrol officer after his family crossed the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain in New York, U.S., February 17, 2017. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi - RTSZ6NV
A man who claimed to be from Sudan throws his family's suitcases towards the border as he is detained by a U.S. border patrol officer after his family crossed the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Canada, from Champlain, N.Y., on Feb. 17, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
Luggage sits on the U.S. side of the border after a woman who told police that she and her family were from Sudan is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers after walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford
Luggage sits on the United States side of the border after a woman who told police that she and her family were from Sudan is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 12, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A man from Yemen crosses the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec
A man from Yemen attempts to cross the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 14, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A child is helped up a hill by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers after a family arriving by taxi and claiming to be from Sudan are taken into custody after walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec
A child is helped up a hill by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after a family arriving by taxi and claiming to be from Sudan are taken into custody after walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 12, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A man who told police he was from Sudan is confronted by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer as he attempts to cross the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec
A man who told police he was from Sudan is confronted by a Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer as he attempts to cross the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 13, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A man from Yemen is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers after walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec
A man from Yemen is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 14, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A man who told police that he was from Sudan is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec
A man who told police that he was from Sudan is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 13, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
Christinne Muschi—ReutersA woman who told police that she and her family were from Sudan is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford
A woman who told police that she and her family were from Sudan is taken into custody by Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 12, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer carries luggage of a woman and her family who told police they were from Sudan and were taken into custody after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec
A Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officer carries luggage of a woman and her family who told police they were from Sudan and were taken into custody after arriving by taxi and walking across the U.S.-Canada border into Hemmingford, Quebec, on Feb. 12, 2017. Christinne Muschi—Reuters

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Write to Mahita Gajanan at mahita.gajanan@time.com