B.C.’s attorney general says Canadian companies should “think about their role” when considering whether to do business with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Niki Sharma, who also acts as the deputy premier, was asked at unrelated news conference Tuesday morning about the backlash facing B.C. billionaire Jim Pattison, over the potential sale of a Virginia warehouse to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for use as an ICE processing facility.
Pattison, whose conglomerate the Jim Pattison Group spans various sectors including real estate, automotive, media and groceries, is being urged by some to not move forward with the deal, citing the actions of ICE officers in the United States, including the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minnesota.
Sharma says her government is watching those actions “with concern.”
B.C. attorney general wants businesses to ‘think about their role’ supporting ICE
“Just like the rest of the world, we watch in horror about what’s happening there and I think that calls on business leaders across this province, and including the whole country, to think about their role in what is unfolding there, and to make decisions that would not lead to some of the outcomes that we’re seeing unfold in the States,” she said Tuesday.
Homeland Security sent a letter to the Hanover County planning department in Hanover, Va., last Wednesday, sharing its intent to “purchase, occupy and rehabilitate” the warehouse property owned by Jim Pattison Developments.
Property records show Jim Pattison Developments bought the building for roughly $10.4 million Cdn in 2022, and the site is expected to be valued at around $69 million Cdn this year, following improvements.
The Jim Pattison Group and Jim Pattison Developments have not returned requests for comment to CBC News.
Pattison isn’t the only Canadian business facing these calls: as reported by The Globe and Mail, Vancouver tech company Hootsuite secured a $95,000 US pilot project with ICE in September that involves monitoring social media discussions about the immigration agency.
ICE has also earmarked millions of dollars for a bulk order of 20 armoured vehicles from Brampton, Ont.-based defence manufacturer Roshel.
