Two Kootenay school districts won't allow any trips to the United States for as long as there is a risk of detention at the border.
And a similar decision has also been made by a district in B.C.'s Lower Mainland.
School District 8, which includes schools in Nelson, Creston, Kaslo, Salmo, Crawford Bay and the Slocan Valley, cancelled two field trips to Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho that were to take place before the end of the academic year.
SD8 superintendent Trish Smillie said the decision is in line with an advisory by Global Affairs Canada, which ranks travel risk to the U.S. as "normal" but now warns Canadians could be detained at border crossings.
Smillie said the district wants to avoid any scenario in which students are trapped south of the border. That rules out field trips, as well as any professional development opportunities for staff in the U.S.
鈥淎nyone that's denied entry could be detained. So that represents definitely a risk to any staff or student crossing the border for work or for field trips. It's not something that really meets a measure of safety for students that are travelling on school buses.鈥�
School District 5, in Cranbrook and Fernie region, is also pausing trips for the remainder of the school year with the exception of two band trips that were previously planned and paid for.
Jason Tichauer, the safe school co-ordinator for SD5, said the two trips have several conditions attached to them, including contacting U.S. border agents ahead of time and talking to parents about potential delays at the border.
鈥淲e have definitely had a similar pause to SD8, just that we do have a couple trips that were already approved that we think we can follow federal and provincial regulations and conduct safely.鈥�
Meanwhile, Surrey Schools have also joined in on the call to not travel to the neighbouring country as the district has paused any new school and principal trips to the U.S., spokesperson Avi Gill shared with Peace Arch News.
Additionally, any trips that were not fully planned or paid for have been cancelled.
"The district is in discussions with school staff, students and families to help navigate any new travel advice," Gill added.
Each year, about 20 to 30 trips to the U.S. take place through schools, including sports teams. But now moving forward, schools and administrators are being asked to look at alternative ideas instead.
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Whatcom Council of Governments shows a drop of nearly 43 per cent in vehicles with British Columbia licence plates travelling south using Metro Vancouver border crossings in March compared to March last year (crossings include Peace Arch/Douglas, Pacific Highway, Lynden/Aldergrove, and Sumas/Huntingdon).
The decision to cancel and pause further travel has to do with Trump's mass deportations and border arrests, largely of people of colour. According to Homeland Security, Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) made 32,809 arrests in the first 50 days of Trump's presidency, compared to 33,242 arrests in the entire 2024 fiscal year.
"Many of our students come from diverse, racialized backgrounds and are not Canadian citizens, and could experience visa issues," Surrey Schools states.
"We are closely following the Government of Canada鈥檚 updated travel guidance and look forward to resuming student trips in the future."
Aaron Callaghan, superintendent for School District 6 in the Kimberley and Invermere area, told the Nelson Star in an email that his district doesn't have a policy in place pausing U.S. travel, but that there has also been little support for such trips expressed by his school's principals.
"It鈥檚 an unfortunate situation given our proximity to the border and the opportunities for students, but I don鈥檛 foresee any of our student groups travelling to the US in the near future."
Superintendent Katherine Shearer of Trail's School District 20 said her schools have no plans to travel to the U.S., but that the district would also consider a pause.
The trade war between Canada and the U.S. has led to increased scrutiny of border crossings.
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Canada to invest in border security, claiming illegal immigrants and fentanyl are crossing into America. The accusations are being used by Trump to justify new tariffs on Canadian goods.
Global Affairs Canada said in an April 4 update that Canadians cannot expect assistance from the federal government if they are detained by U.S. border agents, who have "significant discretion."
"U.S. authorities strictly enforce entry requirements. Expect scrutiny at ports of entry, including of electronic devices. Comply and be forthcoming in all interactions with border authorities. If you are denied entry, you could be detained while awaiting deportation.鈥�
Smillie said SD8 trips to the U.S. were already rare before the district made its decision to pause all travel. The policy is not permanent, she added, but for the time being, schools will find alternate activities that don't require crossing the border.
鈥淎nything we can do in the States, we can do in Canada.鈥�
鈥� with files from Sobia Moman
