OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is still skirting demands to speak out against the U.S. government's newly revised ban on immigration from specific countries.
U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a new iteration of the controversial ban today, prompting renewed calls for Trudeau to denounce it and suspend the Canada-U.S. agreement on asylum claims.
NDP Leader Tom Mulcair called the travel ban "racist" and pushed Trudeau to say whether he considers the U.S. is a safe country for refugees, but the prime minister would only say that Canada is open and welcoming to all.
The travel ban, and the Safe Third Country agreement, have been cited as the reason for so many people crossing into Canada in recent weeks to seek asylum.
The source of those claims and what to do about them will be a hot topic at this week's Liberal cabinet meeting.
Cabinet will also have a chance to grill the U.S. homeland security secretary on the issue when he visits Ottawa later this week.