Letter to the Honorable Donald Trump, President of the United States - Maine and New Hampshire Senators Call on President to Ease Restrictions on U.S.-Canada Travel
Letter
Dear Mr. President:
We write concerning the continued restrictions at land ports of entry (LPOE) between both the
United States and Canada. We appreciate the need to limit nonessential travel into the United States and
Canada in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and protect the populations of our respective
nations. However, just as individual states, provinces, and territories have taken actions to address their
unique situations, we believe that border restrictions should reflect the actual, localized risk on both
sides of the border.
At this time, the risks of significant cross-border transmission in numerous border jurisdictions
appear to be low. Just as many American states have loosened restrictions on certain activities and
interstate travel, an absolute restriction on non-essential travel across the entire U.S.-Canada border
should be reevaluated. As states and localities in the interiors of our nations continue to reopen, we are
concerned that border communities that have historically depended on day-to-day cross-border
commerce will be left behind, even as their risk of COVID-19 transmission appears to remain low.
The protracted closure of the world's longest international land border to all but essential travel
has put immense strain on the communities that straddle the border. Many people that reside along our
shared border with Canada are part of remote, rural communities which rely on one another for essential
supplies and services. Family members and loved ones frequently live on opposite sides of the border,
creating tight-knit, cross-border communities. This isolation will risks only growing as the fall and
winter seasons approach if current border restrictions remain in place.
Accordingly, we ask that your administration ease the ongoing restrictions on non-essential
travel, or alternatively categorize additional types of cross-border travel as essential, which we believe
will recognize the reality of the health risks along much of the border while also help support our border
communities as we continue the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thank you for your attention to this issue.
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