After nearly a full day, a search and rescue operation is over for a woman and two young children who are believed to have crossed the border from the United States into Canada overnight.
Quebec provincial police, who took over the search from the RCMP Thursday, say they believe the missing trio may have left the area by car. They say an investigation is underway,
RCMP said they launched the search around midnight Thursday in the area surrounding Trout River, Que., in the Montérégie region, after two men and a woman were arrested Wednesday night for illegally entering the country.
RCMP spokesperson Martina Pillarova said it was only during interviews with those who were arrested that officers learned of the missing woman and children.
The ages of the children have not been confirmed, but the Sûreté du Québec (SQ) told CBC they are believed to be as young as three years old.
Pillarova said medical emergency services were also on standby as there were concerns for their safety.
“They might be injured or dehydrated,” Pillarova said, more than 10 hours after the search began.
There is an official border crossing at Trout River that links the municipality of Elgin, Que., to Constable, N.Y., which is open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. most days.
Elgin’s general manager Guylaine Cloutier said that illegal crossings have increased since U.S. President Donald Trump’s second term began, but noted it’s not a new issue.
“It’s always existed,” she said, adding that although it’s worrisome, there’s not much the municipality can do to help.
“We don’t have the capacity or resources,” she said.
FULL STORY: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/migrants-quebec-usa-border-1.7512807
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