Immigration Minister Jason Kenney: Officials

Terry Jones Dept: Immigration Minister Jason Kenney thinks he should also have a say, according to The Star. Kenney says the recent attempt by Qur an-burning preacher Terry Jones to cross the border demonstrates the need for the law. Canadian border officials found, in the nick of time, that Jones had a minor U.S. conviction for breach of peace and were able to keep him out. If the proposed law, which will go in front of a Commons immigration committee in the fall, was in place, Kenney could have stepped in from the get-go and there are a number of good reasons for not letting certain people into Canada: having a criminal record, being deemed a threat to the security of residents or the security of the country, and involvement in human rights violations, among others. Decisions about entry are made by border officials every day. Kenney announced last week that he will seek new powers to bar certain people from entering Canada if the minister concludes that it is justified by public policy considerations. It s a vague term that has yet to be defined, but he says it would mostly apply to people entering with the intent to promote hatred and spark violence. (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.