Trump signals support for plan to help Canadian Jews relocate to US
President Donald Trump has signaled support for a Christian-led proposal to create expedited legal pathways for Jewish Canadians facing rising antisemitism, as religious leaders urge action.
President Donald Trump has indicated support for a plan backed by Christian lawmakers and religious leaders that would create expedited legal pathways for Jewish Canadians seeking to escape rising antisemitism. Trump shared a report on the proposal Sunday on Truth Social, amplifying the appeal as the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL) presses his administration to act.
The NACL and its partners sent a letter Thursday to Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and congressional leaders, urging the administration to direct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security to create «lawful, secure, and appropriately expedited pathways» for Jewish Canadians and their immediate family members who face persecution or can credibly demonstrate fears for their safety because they are Jewish.
«For generations, America has served as a refuge for people fleeing religious persecution,» the group wrote. «We urge you to ensure that, consistent with federal law and the security interests of the United States, that door remains open to our Jewish brothers and sisters in Canada who need it today.»
NACL founder and President Jason Rapert, speaking from Israel, said he wants Trump to press Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney directly on what he called «roadblocks» against the «quick recognition of the plight» of thousands of Jewish Canadians fearing for their safety. «We will find out» if Canada is getting in the way of the more than 2,000 Jewish Canadians who have expressed interest in relocating, Rapert said. «Trump should ask Carney right now,» he added. «Canada should be embarrassed and ashamed of these perceived roadblocks.»
The letter was signed by Rapert, former U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, and more than 50 state legislators, religious leaders and civic figures. It cited data showing Jewish Canadians are being targeted at a «grossly disproportionate rate,» with community-based reporting reflecting thousands of antisemitic incidents across Canada.
«These numbers represent more than statistics,» Rapert wrote. «They represent families who increasingly question whether they can safely send their children to Jewish schools, worship openly, display their faith publicly, or continue building their lives in communities where they no longer feel secure.»
Canada has reported nearly 7,000 antisemitic incidents in a country of roughly 41 million people. By comparison, the U.S., with more than 342 million people, has reported fewer than 6,300, Rapert noted. «It's definitely a problem» by greater proportions in Canada, and «it's eerie to hear,» he said after a Sunday visit to the Ghetto Fighters' House Museum in northern Israel, where he spoke with a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor.
The NACL was alerted to the concerns of Jewish Canadians from a piece in the National Post by Michael Sachs, a Canadian-American Jewish community leader who serves as Senior Director of the Jewish Federation of Tulsa. Jewish Canadians have expressed interest in relocating because of safety concerns, harassment, vandalism, intimidation, threats and violence against Jewish schools, synagogues, businesses, institutions and families following the Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas terror attacks on Israel, according to Sachs.
Carney has himself acknowledged a severe rise in antisemitism in Canada, saying his country has failed to adequately protect its Jewish community. «Canada's civic compact is failing Jewish Canadians,» Carney told an audience at Toronto's Holy Blossom Temple in June, saying the country's antisemitism crisis is «specific, severe and demands a targeted response.» He said antisemitism in Canada had surged to levels not seen since the aftermath of World War II, noting that more than two-thirds of religion-motivated hate crimes recorded in the previous year targeted Jewish Canadians, despite Jews making up only about 1% of the country's population. He pointed to bullets fired at Jewish schools, firebombings at synagogues, attacks on community centers and Jewish-owned businesses, and the targeting of Jewish students on university campuses.
The NACL letter urged the administration to coordinate with state and local governments, Jewish organizations, churches, nonprofits and employers willing to help families establish new lives in the United States. «Antisemitism is a moral evil, and Christians must be willing to stand with our Jewish friends when they face hatred and persecution,» Rapert said. «We are asking President Trump and his administration to consider what lawful steps America can take.»
