U.S. offers Trudeau government help to end border blockade

U.S. officials have offered to help the Trudeau government end an anti-vaccine mandate protest blockade that is sending ripple effects through the American economy and causing increasing concern in Washington.

The White House says U.S. officials had multiple conversations on Thursday with their Canadian counterparts about the blockade on the Ambassador Bridge, a major trade artery which connects Windsor, Ont. with Detroit.

The White House said Thursday the U.S. federal cabinet and senior administration staff are now seized with this issue.

"[They] have been engaged around the clock to bring this to a swift end," the White House said in response to questions from CBC News.

The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden said Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas urged his Canadian counterparts Thursday to use their own federal powers to end the blockade at the Canada-U.S. border.

Mayorkas also reportedly offered the help of his department to end the impasse.

The White House did not elaborate on the offer of help. Mayorkas's department handles multiple agencies, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Those officers are posted at border checkpoints, including the Ambassador Bridge — the busiest crossing between the two countries and a vital trade link.

Disruptions at that bridge have escalated U.S. interest in the convoy protests. Those protests were covered initially by U.S. media as a right-wing phenomenon but are now drawing wide-ranging national attention as a political and economic issue.

"We know that disruptions like these hit hard-working American families the hardest," the White House said.

The disruption has paused auto production at plants on both sides of the border. One U.S. lawmaker has suggested that the United States should rely less on imports from Canada and buy more of its auto products at home.

The White House said it's aware of reports of plans for similar truck-convoy protests in the U.S. at the Super Bowl and across the country.

It said it has no reason yet to believe these events are anything but protests protected by the free speech provisions of the U.S. Constitution. It said it will send Homeland Security personnel to this Sunday's Super Bowl in addition to the contingent already there.

WATCH | White House urges Canada to end border blockade:

White House urges Ottawa to use federal powers to clear border blockades

3 years ago

Duration 1:53

The White House is offering the support of homeland security while urging Canada's federal government to use its powers to clear the blockades at key border crossings before the impact on supply chains grows.