As Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continues its crackdown in the U.S., people are increasingly concerned about the agency’s possible presence in Canada.
Last week, some Canadians noticed that several U.S. Embassies and Consulates in Canada are listed as ICE field offices on the government website.
“There are 5 ICE stations in Canada!! Whaat? Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto. If [Prime Minister Mark Carney] doesn’t close them down, our Mayors should do something,” former Ontario Member of Parliament Cheri DiNovo shared on X.
BREAKING: There are 5 #ICE stations Canada!! Whaat? Ottawa, Calgary, Montreal, Vancouver and Toronto.
If @MarkJCarney doesn’t close them down – our Mayors should do something
— Cheri DiNovo (@CheriDiNovo) January 28, 2026
The concern stems from the violence and what human rights groups are calling “unlawful arrests” that ICE agents have enacted in the U.S. in the past year.
Anti-ICE protests erupted in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in December as Trump sent thousands of agents to the historically Democratic state.
Hundreds of people gather to protest against ICE raids and Trump in Minnesota on Dec. 12, 2025 (Alejandro Diaz Manrique/Shutterstock)
The outrage grew after 37-year-old U.S. citizen Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE agent on Jan. 7 while protesting in Minneapolis. On Jan. 24, Alex Pretti, another U.S. citizen protesting in the city, was also shot and killed by an immigration agent.
In the first month of 2026, there were reports of six immigrants who died in ICE custody.
“The question of why ICE, a militarized force, is allowed here and if they’re granted diplomatic immunity is pertinent now more than ever, especially with [President Donald Trump] threatening to invade and annex Canada, and the separatist movement in Alberta being influenced by American subterfuge,” journalist Carolyn Hinds shared on X, alongside screenshots of the U.S. Embassies and Consulates on ICE’s sites.
Yep, the Canadian gov’t has allowed the US government to place 4 ICE stations in Canada, including the national capital and parliamentary seat. How that was even allowed..
So not only are Canadian companies fully complicit with ICE the gov’t has already given them a toehold here https://t.co/K3dsS5YFKp pic.twitter.com/AXkmeV1uq0
— Carolyn Hinds 🇧🇧 #FreePalestine #CongoInCrisis (@CarrieCnh12) January 27, 2026
ICE responds to concerns about its presence in Canada
The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa and Consulates in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver are listed on the ICE website under international field offices in Canada.
In an email statement to Daily Hive, an ICE spokesperson confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is the criminal investigative law enforcement component of ICE, has personnel assigned to the embassy and consulates in the five Canadian cities listed above.
“HSI special agents conduct criminal investigations to protect the United States from dangerous transnational organizations, like terrorist groups and drug cartels,” stated the spokesperson.
“These skilled and highly trained special agents focus on a wide variety of serious crimes, like drug trafficking, child exploitation, weapons smuggling, human smuggling, financial fraud, and more.”
IB Photography/Shutterstock
The ICE spokesperson noted that HSI agents do not carry firearms in Canada, nor do they “conduct operational activities” in the country, such as making arrests or executing search warrants.
The U.S. Embassy in Ottawa also addressed the concerns in a post on X and detailed what the HSI agents tackle in Canada.
“Recent social media posts have speculated on the role of @DHSgov’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) team in Canada,” reads the post.
“Let’s be clear: HSI operates in close partnership with Canadian law enforcement to combat transnational crime and protect communities on both sides of the border.”
Recent social media posts have speculated on the role of @DHSgov’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) team in Canada.
Let’s be clear: HSI operates in close partnership with Canadian law enforcement to combat transnational crime and protect communities on both sides of the…
— U.S. Embassy Ottawa (@usembassyottawa) January 30, 2026
Calls to get rid of ICE’s presence in Canada
Still, there are growing calls for Canada to cut ties with ICE.
NDP MP Heather McPherson wrote a letter to Carney, calling for sanctions, export bans, cancelled subsidies, and the closure of ICE offices in Canada.
“Canada cannot fund, arm, or legitimize ICE…Fascist violence and human rights abuses demand action, not silence,” she shared in a post on X.
Canada cannot fund, arm, or legitimize ICE.
I’ve written to PM Carney calling for sanctions, export bans, cancelled subsidies, and the closure of ICE offices in Canada. Fascist violence and human rights abuses demand action, not silence. pic.twitter.com/tLmYZP702L
— Heather McPherson (@HMcPhersonNDP) January 29, 2026
Daily Hive has contacted the Prime Minister’s Office for comment. We will update the story when we hear back.