Canada is prioritizing the deportation of asylum seekers who walked across the border from the United States illegally.

More than 36,000 people have walked into Canada from the United States to file refugee claims since January 2017, many saying they feared U.S. President Donald Trump’s election promise and policy to crack down on illegal immigration.

The influx has thrown the Canadian asylum system into turmoil and caused a political uproar in a country accustomed to picking and choosing its newcomers.

The family of Erkan Cüce, from Turkey, are helped by a member of the RCMP at the US/Canada border February 26, 2017, in Champlain, NY. The family was arrested by the RCMP after crossing.
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing growing political pressure to address the steady stream of asylum seekers who have been braving freezing temperatures to cross into Canada from the US by foot. / AFP PHOTO / Don EMMERT

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