Canada immigration decline meets Trump criticism in 2026
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed Canada is 'destroying itself' with unchecked immigration, but new government data shows temporary resident arrivals
U.S. President Donald Trump accused Canada of 'destroying itself' through unchecked immigration on September 23, 2026. His social media post claimed the policy leads to unemployment and is a Liberal takeover, but offered no evidence for these assertions.
Official data now shows sharp declines in immigration. Temporary-resident arrivals from January through July 2026 were 66% lower than during the same months of 2024. The non-permanent resident population fell by 154,614 year over year, reaching 2.78 million on July 1, 2026.
Government data shows immigration declines under new targets
Statistics Canada reported Canada welcomed 99,148 immigrants in the second quarter of 2026, down 4.2% from a year earlier. The country's overall population rose by just 0.2 per cent in that quarter. This growth is even lower than during the COVID-19 pandemic-era border restrictions.
The recent data measure different streams. They include quarterly immigrant arrivals, temporary-resident entries over seven months, and the population of non-permanent residents on a specific date. None shows the millions of newly admitted people suggested by Trump's post. The temporary-resident measures instead record significant declines.
Ottawa’s 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan maintains reductions
The federal government’s 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan holds annual permanent-resident admissions at 380,000. It lowers temporary-arrival targets dramatically. The target fell from 673,650 to 385,000 for 2026, then drops to 370,000 in each of the following two years.
| Year | Permanent Resident Target | Temporary Arrival Target |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 380,000 | 385,000 |
| 2027 | 380,000 | 370,000 |
| 2028 | 380,000 | 370,000 |
The plan sets a specific population objective: reducing temporary residents to under 5% of the population by the end of 2027. On July 1, 2026, the non-permanent resident population stood at 6.7% of the total. This count had peaked at 2.98 million, or 7.2%, on October 1, 2024. Ottawa also says it wants permanent-resident admissions to remain below 1% of the population beyond 2027.
Context: Policy shifts driven by housing and economic pressures
These reductions follow years of criticism that high immigration targets were putting too much pressure on the housing market and other sectors. Immigration levels in Canada reached a record high in 2024 with 483,640 permanent residents admitted. That number dropped to about 393,500 in 2025. By February 28, 2026, Canada had welcomed 53,400 toward that year’s 380,000 target.
In late 2025, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget set the new immigration targets to, in its words, 'responsibly manage immigration to alleviate pressures on housing demand.' This pledge followed earlier, higher proposals to admit 500,000 permanent residents annually, which Ottawa later abandoned. Officials have also tightened targets for international students and temporary workers after sharp increases in both groups.
Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand, speaking to reporters in New York City, said immigration overall has improved 'Canadian prosperity' but acknowledged the federal government reduced the intake. The immigration department states that all applicants, including visitors, temporary foreign workers, students, immigrants and refugees, face comprehensive security screening protocols. Authorities can find applicants inadmissible for security concerns, human rights violations, or organized criminality.
Trump's post targeted Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal government. Both leaders were in New York City this week to attend the United Nations General Assembly. Ottawa aims to bring the temporary-resident population to under 5% by the end of 2027 as part of its 2026-2028 Immigration Levels Plan.
