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Preclearance Passage Praised Along Northern Border

U.S. and Canadian flags
Flanker/Wikimedia Commons/Public Domain

Congress has approved the Promoting Travel, Commerce and National Security Act of 2016, sending it to the president’s desk.  The measure creates a preclearance procedure for Amtrak passengers traveling across the Canadian border and shared clearance functions especially at small rural crossings.
Generally referred to as the U.S.-Canada Preclearance Bill, the law implements an agreement between the countries crafted in 2015 establishing shared border clearance functions. It also eliminates the need for passenger rail, particularly Amtrak, to stop at the border by establishing preclearance procedures.
Plattsburgh North Country Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Garry Douglas says passage of the bill was a top priority this year.    “The preclearance agreement arrived at in 2015 is historic in that it created a framework for the U.S. and Canada to do things that are common sense. Now common sense things may seem like they ought to be easy but they aren't when you're talking about two countries’ jurisdictions, law enforcement officers operating in another country. What the act of Congress did was clear away the impediments, resolve the jurisdictional questions so that the agreement can actually go into effect.”

Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik of the 21st district co-introduced the legislation in the House, calling it incredibly important for northern border states.   “It will impact tourism and it will also impact commerce. In our district our economic partnership with Canada is hugely important. When it comes to tourism one of the important provisions in the pre-clearance legislation deals with Amtrak passengers. So passengers are pre-cleared through the security process so there's not a delay at the border. In addition it also strengthens our border security. The U.S. and Canada which have an incredibly strong working relationship, in some of the more rural border crossings this will allow them to utilize the same facilities and it's a good steward of taxpayer dollars in that sense. So this is a win-win both for Canada and the U.S.”

The U.S. operates preclearance facilities at 15 airports in six countries that allow travelers to pass through customs inspections prior to departure.  The legislation expands operations to rail between the U.S. and Canada. Passengers on Amtrak’s Adirondack line to and from Montreal are currently stopped at the border, often resulting in delays of more than an hour as Customs and Border Protection clears the entire train.  Preclearance is expected to improve tourism and economic opportunities along the entire rail corridor.

Amtrak Spokesman Craig Schulz expects a number of benefits for their passengers.   “One of the things that we’ll see I think with preclearance is an elimination of any delays to the train that the train may experience at the border. Should there be a reason for agents to remove somebody from the train for further questioning or for whatever reason if somebody is detained and unable to enter the country with preclearance now that work will be done in the station before the train departs. That alone has a number of benefits to Amtrak as a corporation, as a company. It makes a much more efficient operation for us. And then of course for our passengers. It eliminates delays. So there are a number of reasons why this is a good thing.”

Vermont Democratic Congressman Peter Welch says he’s seen the efficiency of preclearance and joint border operations in Europe.   “One of the complaints that all of us in the delegation hear about is from our businesses where they have to spend a lot of time and a lot of paperwork trying to get across the border. So anything that can be done to increase the speed of business or increase the speed of tourism is really good. And this pre-clearance is a combination of Canadian and U.S. commitment to work together to make it easier for business and for tourists.”

Parallel legislation must be approved by the Canadian Parliament.  Action is expected in Ottawa sometime early in the new year.
 

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