XPost: alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.atheism, rec.arts.tv   
   XPost: talk.politics.guns, sac.politics   
   From: x@y.com   
      
    Donald Trump is a convicted felon. Could he be stopped from entering   
   Canada for the G7 summit?   
   Trump would likely not be allowed to enter Canada if he were not the U.S.   
   president, immigration lawyers tell the Star.   
   June 13, 2025   
   3 min read   
      
   As a convicted felon, Donald Trump would theoretically be barred from   
   entering Canada — but it’s unlikely to happen, lawyers say.   
      
      
   By Kevin JiangStaff Reporter   
      
      
   If any ordinary American were to be convicted of Donald Trump‘s crimes,   
   they would most likely be stopped at the Canadian border, immigration   
   lawyers say.   
   But Trump is far from ordinary. Despite his 34 felony convictions, the U.S.   
   president plans to jet into the country on Sunday, en route to the G7   
   summit in Kananaskis, Alta.   
   He’ll likely face little resistance on his way in.   
   We found out how Mark Carney hopes to smooth differences with Donald Trump   
   at the G7 summit. Here’s what we know   
   Politics   
   Analysis   
   We found out how Mark Carney hopes to smooth differences with Donald Trump   
   at the G7 summit. Here’s what we know   
   “Do I believe (Trump’s convictions) will be an impediment to him entering   
   Canada? The answer is no,” said Mario Bellissimo, founder of immigration   
   law firm Bellissimo Law Group in Toronto.   
   “Given his status and maybe the need for his entry to Canada, all kinds of   
   factors come into play.”   
   The Canada Border Services Agency declined to comment, instead redirecting   
   the Star to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which did not   
   respond by deadline.   
   Is Trump allowed to enter Canada despite his felony convictions?   
   Anyone convicted of an offence outside Canada that, if committed within the   
   country, would constitute an indictable offence or lead to a maximum   
   sentence of at least 10 years, will be deemed inadmissible to enter the   
   country, according to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA).   
   So too will anyone convicted of at least two, separate offences that are   
   also considered offences in Canada.   
   But although Trump was found guilty on 34 felony counts of falsified   
   business records in a 2024, a judge granted him an unconditional discharge   
   — sparing the president any fines, jail time or probation. And that   
   discharge might be his ticket into Canada.   
   “Under the (IRPA), if someone here in Canada is convicted but they receive   
   an unconditional discharge, it’s not considered a conviction,” Bellissimo   
   said. “It may well be that an officer doing an equivalency assessment ...   
   may make a determination that he’s not criminally inadmissible.”   
   ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW   
   Protests at G7 summit in Alberta set to be largely peaceful, targeting   
   Trump policies   
   Politics   
   Protests at G7 summit in Alberta set to be largely peaceful, targeting   
   Trump policies   
   Even if Trump were to be found criminally inadmissible, Bellissimo believes   
   Canada’s minister of public safety would likely make an exception “in the   
   national interest” and allow him entry to preserve diplomatic relations.   
   Canada’s ports of entry also have a “huge amount of discretion” regarding   
   who they let in, added David Garson, managing partner of Toronto-based   
   Garson Immigration Law. Depending on their circumstances, someone deemed   
   inadmissible may be granted a temporary resident permit that allows them to   
   enter the country for a limited time — although Trump is unlikely to reach   
   a point where this is needed, Bellissimo said.   
   Finally, Trump likely holds a diplomatic passport, which could help   
   facilitate his entry. This is not a “get out of jail free card” — it won’t   
   rule out past criminal convictions, Garson and Bellissimo said. But for the   
   purposes of diplomatic facilitation, border officials are more likely to   
   find a reason to let diplomatic passport holders into the country,   
   regardless of their past offences.   
   I have a criminal history. Can I enter Canada?   
   That depends on your offence, how much time has passed since the completion   
   of your sentence and the urgency of your need to enter the country, the   
   lawyers say.   
   “Canada has a pretty low threshold for inadmissibility,” Garson said. For   
   instance, driving under the influence might be considered an indictable   
   offence in Canada and bar one from entering the country.   
   What to know about ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump’s policies   
   United States   
   What to know about ‘No Kings’ protests against Trump’s policies   
   That said, CBSA officers consider cases on a “need versus risk” basis, said   
   Shabnam Akrami, managing partner and founder of Mississauga immigration law   
   firm Akrami & Associates. If one is deemed low-risk and their need to enter   
   is compelling, they may be granted a temporary resident permit — although   
   it can take four to five months and “quite a lot of documentation” for this   
   to be approved, in Garson’s experience.   
   ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW   
   Otherwise, those deemed inadmissible may be considered “rehabilitated” 10   
   years after they served their sentence for an indictable offence, or five   
   years after serving their last sentence for two or more summary   
   convictions. The screening process is more comprehensive for those who   
   committed a serious offence with a maximum sentence of at least 10 years,   
   Bellissimo explained.   
   “I think that’s where people are getting irritated, because someone like   
   Donald Trump is getting preferential treatment,” Akrami said. “Because   
   someone with a similar offence ... would not have been able to overcome the   
   inadmissibility at the port of entry with same-day processing.”   
   Akrami added that she’s seen similar situations with athletes and   
   celebrities who, despite facing criminal convictions that would bar “normal   
   people” from entry, were still allowed into the country.   
   “Because this person is an athlete and millions of people are watching   
   them, it’s a boost to the Canadian economy,” Akrami said. “When you do the   
   need versus risk, it could be argued that they should get in.”   
   “I get why Canadians are upset, with the remarks that he’s made about the   
   51st state and all of this stuff,” she continued. “But from a legal angle   
   ... they’re not making a new law for him. They’re not doing something that   
   doesn’t already exist.”   
   Kevin Jiang   
   Kevin Jiang is a Toronto-based staff reporter for the Star’s Express Desk.   
   Follow him on X:   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)