It’s baffling, honestly, why there isn’t more urgency in Canada about the wave that could soon be moving toward us. We know Donald Trump’s election victory has resurrected his immigration agenda, with a cornerstone policy aimed at deporting millions of undocumented migrants from the U.S. And there are only two places they could go: south to where they escaped, or north to us. Given that many entered through the southern U.S. border, one might guess that returning to the life-or-death situations they fled won’t be their first choice. They likely won’t wait around until Inauguration Day to gamble their futures. These individuals have endured family separations and seen kids held in cages, with the stark memory of it all still very much alive. Now, with the promise of new internment camps looming. internment camps, that’s right. Can anyone really blame them for looking to Canada?

Our government has expressed sympathy for immigrants, but we’ve yet to see any coherent plan or concrete support to prepare for what’s coming. Canada needs immigrants, and historically, we’ve done our part by accepting waves of new Canadians. It’s only right as a G7 country, especially since we’ve played a role in the conflicts and displacements that drive many to flee: think Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, and beyond. This is a country of immigrants, built by waves of people who needed a second chance.

However, we’re already feeling the strains of past decisions. Housing markets are tight, our social systems are stretched, and yet we can’t afford to pretend that we can absorb an unlimited number of people without a plan. Trump’s deportation plan won’t be a slow simmer; it’s going to boil over fast, most certainly within his first hundred days. Probably before the year is out. Yet here we are, divided, stuck in Ottawa’s political bickering, and apparently convinced that someone else will rise to the challenge.

What’s baffling is that as Trump gears up for mass deportations, Canada’s leadership isn’t visibly uniting on this issue. This is the time for non-partisan action—a coordinated, realistic plan with all-party support to manage both our security and our responsibility to those seeking safety. Canada needs to wake up to what’s coming and start preparing now.