U.S. citizens are claiming asylum in Canada – and it’s gotten worse since Trump’s election

This is according to data released by the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), the body that reviews asylum claims.

Asylum Claims in 2025 so far

In the first six months of 2025, 245 U.S. citizens applied for refugee status in Canada. In 2024, the total annual number of claims from U.S. citizens was only 204, marking a sharp uptick since Mr. Trump’s return. Notably, however, asylum claims from U.S. citizens were even higher during Trump’s first term:

To make an asylum claim, a person must have a well-founded fear of persecution or violence in their home country. In Canada, an asylum claim can be made at a Canadian port of entry or online (for those already in the country). Once the claim has been registered, the claimant goes through a formal legal process where their claim is assessed. If their fear of persecution or violence is deemed valid, the claimant is given refugee status, allowing them to live in Canada.

Asylum claims from trans and non-binary Americans

According to reporting from the Globe & Mail, some of the U.S. citizens claiming asylum in 2025 are non-binary and trans Americans. Since his return to office, President Trump has waged war on trans rights, issuing executive orders declaring that there are only two official sexes and banning trans people from serving in the U.S. military. At the same time, many U.S. states, particularly those controlled by Republicans, have restricted access to gender affirming medical care for trans individuals.

A recent report from GLAAD found that there has been a dramatic rise in anti-trans hate incidents in the U.S. over the past year. Violent attacks have resulted in 84 injuries and 10 deaths.

Not all asylum claims will be approved. In fact, claimants from the U.S. are almost always unsuccessful, with their fear of persecution and violence in their home country often deemed unfounded. In fact, according to data from the IRB, in the past 10 years not a single asylum claim from a U.S. citizen is listed as “accepted” (though many of these cases are still pending). However, the worsening U.S. climate for trans and non-binary individuals means these cases may have a chance of approval.

In their report, the Globe & Mail cites immigration lawyer, Adrienne Smith, of Smith Immigration Law, who states that her office “has been regularly contacted by trans and non-binary U.S. citizens who no longer feel safe in the United States.”

U.S. asylum claims lower than other countries and early Trump years

Compared to other countries, the number of asylum claims submitted by U.S. citizens is relatively small. Citizens from India, Haiti, Iran, and Nigeria have submitted thousands of asylum claims in the first half of 2025.

Despite the increase from 2024, the number of asylum claims submitted by U.S. citizens in 2025 is on track to be lower than in the early years of Trump’s first term. Clearly, President Trump’s rhetoric has been making certain U.S. citizens feel unsafe for years. With more than three years left in Trump’s second term, asylum claims may become an important option for trans and non-binary individuals seeking to flee the U.S. Though it remains to be seen if Canada’s historically high barriers to asylum claim approvals for U.S. citizens will continue to prevent these claims from succeeding.