Canadian companies are coming under fire over their ties to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as U.S. President Donald Trump pursues a mass deportation campaign to expel vast numbers of immigrants.
Canadian defence manufacturer Roshel and Vancouver-based companies Hootsuite and Jim Pattison Group are being raked publicly over their ties to the immigration enforcement agency — especially in the wake of recent killings of civilians by federal agents in Minnesota.
Pattison building
The United States Department of Homeland Security is planning to buy a building in Virginia owned by the property arm of Vancouver-based conglomerate Jim Pattison Group to use as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement "processing facility."
The department sent a letter to the Hanover County planning department in Hanover, Va., last Wednesday saying it intends to "purchase, occupy and rehabilitate" the warehouse property.
In its letter, the U.S. department said it intends to make modifications to the property that include construction, equipment and security upgrades.
In a press release issued last Thursday, Hanover County said it did "not initiate" the project and was told by Homeland Security that it had 30 days to respond to the letter.
The county said its board of supervisors would meet this week to consider its next steps, and the meeting’s agenda notes the board would consult lawyers about zoning laws related to "federal government uses."
Emily Lowan, leader of the Green Party of B.C., said in a post on social media that billionaire Jimmy Pattison’s businesses should be boycotted over the pending sale.
Some in the community worry that the facility could bring with it an intensification of local immigration efforts and a crackdown on protesters.
Hootsuite
U.S. procurement records show another Vancouver-based company, Hootsuite, is providing social media services to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE.
The contract between Homeland Security and New York-based Seneca Strategic Partners is to provide "social media management platform Hootsuite and support services," and is worth up to US$2.8 million, according to a U.S. government procurement website.
The site does not explain the relationship between Hootsuite and Seneca, which describes itself as a federal government contracting business wholly owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians.
A protest outside Hootsuite’s Vancouver headquarters is planned for Friday by a group called Democracy Rising, which is urging Hootsuite to "cancel its contracts and publicly apologize."
Hootsuite CEO Irina Novoselsky said in a statement Wednesday that "what we are watching unfold right now is wrong." She said the loss of life and the fear being felt in communities as a result of recent enforcement actions are "devastating."
"Beyond how painful it has been to process the current situation on a personal level, we have also felt the concern expressed about Hootsuite’s work with ICE’s public affairs office," Novoselsky said.
Novoselsky said Hootsuite has worked with government organizations across countries and administrations for more than 15 years, including the U.S. government.
"Our use-case with ICE does not include tracking or surveillance of individuals using our tools. Any claim otherwise is false and prohibited under our terms of service, which we actively enforce," she said.
Novoselsky said Hootsuite's technology "makes public conversation visible at scale" and "helps organizations understand what people are saying using unbiased, authentic social data."
"Today more than ever, organizations need to hear more from the public, not less," she said. "Our responsibility is to ensure those voices remain visible. We work with a wide range of organizations because listening to real conversations leads to insights that drive better decisions and accountability, without endorsing specific actions or policies."
Roshel vehicles
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement earmarked millions of dollars for a bulk order for 20 armoured vehicles from Canadian defence manufacturer Roshel.
The purchase quickly drew criticism from arms control advocates and politicians in Canada due to the law enforcement agency's alleged record of human rights abuses.
ICE says the armoured vehicles fall under Buy American provisions because the vehicles are produced in the U.S.
Roshel has several manufacturing plants in Ontario and it opened a Michigan facility in 2024. The company said at the time that U.S. defence and law enforcement agencies accounted for most of its orders.
The Arms Embargo Now Coalition shared images and video with media that allegedly show Roshel vehicles at the scene on Saturday in Minneapolis, when Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents.
The Canadian Press has not verified the video and Global Affairs Canada declined to comment, instead referring queries to ICE and Roshel.
Politicians, experts respond
Asked what he makes of criticism of Canadian companies providing vehicles and other infrastructure to ICE, Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said Tuesday that he would "let the respective Canadian companies answer that question."
"Overall, we have certain laws that restrict the ability of Canadian companies to trade with the entities or countries. In the particular case of the United States, that's not a restriction," Anandasangaree said. "In respect to who they're selling items to, I would let Canadian company leaders answer that."
B.C. Attorney General Niki Sharma told a news conference Tuesday that companies should think twice before doing business with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"We watch in horror about what's happening there," Sharma said. "That calls upon business leaders across this province, including the whole country, to think about their role in what is unfolding there and to make decisions that would not lead to some of the outcomes that we're seeing unfold in the States."
Stephen McGill, president and creative director of marketing at branding company McGill Buckley, told The Canadian Press that when companies are connected to something controversial, "silence isn’t neutral" and tends to be read as avoidance.
McGill said that if there’s a gap between a company's stated principles and the sort of people it does business with, "the public will spot it fast, and the company will suffer the consequences." He said a company's first obligation is to provide clarity about what the relationship is, why it exists and where the limits are.
"Leaders need to engage, not retreat," said McGill. "Listen to concerns, acknowledge them plainly, and be willing to change course. Ending a relationship isn’t a failure. It’s accountability."
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
