Biden and Trudeau tiptoe around immigration tensions on the northern border

CNN
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President Joe Biden’s challenges along the southern border are spilling into his relationship with his northern partner ahead of his trip to Canada, as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau attempts to fend off his own critics concerned about a surge of migrants.

Pressure is mounting for Washington and Ottawa to finalize changes to a decades-old asylum agreement that would restrict certain migrants from seeking protections in Canada, sources told CNN.

While discussions have been ongoing for years, the sharp increase of people crossing into Canada from the US – some of whom are believed to have initially crossed the US southern border – has placed added urgency to talks.

The US and Canada have often worked together to manage migration in the Western Hemisphere. Over the years, the number of migrants crossing into Canada has fluctuated, previously hitting a high…