He's lived in the U.S. since he was 3. At 46, he was denied re-entry at the border

Prapti Bamaniya · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 11, 2025 3:59 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 12

When Christopher Landry was making his yearly travel to New Brunswick from New Hampshire, helium didn't deliberation helium would tally into immoderate problems.

But connected his mode location crossing the borderline to the U.S. successful Houlton, Maine, helium recovered retired helium wasn't allowed back.

"My household depends connected maine for food, shelter, clothing, everything," he said. "So I'm missing that. It's my full beingness I'm missing." 

He said borderline officers told him, due to the fact that of convictions successful 2004 and 2007 for possession of marijuana and driving with a suspended licence, helium was taxable to detention.

WATCH | 'Every item successful my beingness has been disrupted,' says U.S. nonmigratory stuck successful New Brunswick: 

At the time, helium was fixed a suspended condemnation and paid his fine.  

"Every small item has been enactment connected hold, from my dog's veterinary appointments to taking my kids to the doctor's appointments and paying bills … my beingness has been disrupted."

Landry was calved successful New Brunswick and moved to Peterborough, N.H., 43 years ago, erstwhile helium was three. 

He is simply a ineligible U.S. resident, and has a partner, 5 children and a occupation successful manufacturing successful his location state. He comes up to sojourn his extended household and grandparents adjacent Shediac, N.B., astatine slightest erstwhile a year.

"My household is rather distraught," said Landry. "We're besides going to hole ourselves for the worst, due to the fact that astatine this constituent we conscionable don't cognize what's going to happen."

He said helium volition effort to marque the astir of his clip successful New Brunswick, including visiting the lobster festival with 2 of his daughters. 

Landry was told to spot an migration justice for a proceeding to find retired what happens next.

Blair Hodgman, a U.S. and Canadian migration lawyer with the steadfast Allen and Hodgman, says it's an antithetic situation, but anyone with an American transgression past should beryllium wary of question close now.

"Normally, a imperishable nonmigratory would not beryllium refused admittance for an offence similar that," she said.

"When you person a transgression past successful the United States, it doesn't spell away.

"It's surprising, but it's not surprising"

She said Landry should talk with a U.S. lawyer successful New Hampshire, and that helium has the close to spell earlier an migration justice and inquire for enslaved and inquire for cancellation of removal to benignant retired his rights. 

"I would archer him, bash not, perfectly bash not effort to spell to the United States without retaining a U.S. migration lawyer successful the United States."

Hodgman is simply a dual national successful the U.S. and Canada herself, and lives successful Nova Scotia now.

"It's frightening to maine what's going connected successful the United States and the threats adjacent against U.S. lawyers, against U.S. citizens," she said. "It's a precise frightening scenario. So I'm precise blessed to beryllium present successful Nova Scotia."

She advised travellers that if they person immoderate signifier of irregularity successful their past to get assistance from competent counsel before leaving the country.

"Always beryllium truthful," she said. "Usually, thing disastrous tin befall you if you're truthful."

Trump medication has 'gone excessively far,' said Landry

Landry said he's captious of U.S. President Donald Trump's scrutiny of the borderline between Canada and the U.S.

"In the United States … it doesn't substance if you're a amended idiosyncratic now, 20 years later, they're going to clasp it against you."

He said he was supportive of Trump earlier helium was elected, but Landry present says helium feels misled.

"If I had known that helium was going to bash this to hundreds, if not thousands of radical crossed America, whether they merit it oregon not, like, I don't cognize if I would person supported that."

"As acold arsenic supporting this administration, it decidedly has changed my views. I deliberation it's gone excessively far."