A Trans Woman from the U.S. Seeks Asylum in Canada Over Fears of Trump’s Policies

Toronto (Canada), (EFE) – An American transgender woman requested asylum in Canada on Monday due to fear of persecution in the United States as a result of President Donald Trump’s policies.

Hannah Kreager’s lawyer, Yameena Ansari, told Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail that her client filed the asylum request on Monday with Canada’s Immigration and Refugee Board.

Ansari stated that the policies implemented by Trump since his return to the White House on January 20—including one that declares there are only two genders, male and female—have eroded the rights and protections of the transgender population in the U.S.

Kreager, 22, who now lives in the Canadian city of Calgary, told the newspaper that she was afraid to renew her passport because her current one lists her gender as “X.”

The Trump administration has eliminated the option to mark gender as “X,” which traditionally designates transgender and non-binary individuals.

“I was very stressed in the United States,” the asylum seeker explained.

Her case will serve as a test for Canada’s refugee system, as Ottawa considers the United States a safe country for individuals fearing persecution based on gender, beliefs, or ideology.

Both countries have enshrined this stance in the Safe Third Country Agreement, in effect since 2002 and expanded in 2023 to prevent irregular refugee entries from the U.S.

Organizations like Amnesty International (AI) have criticized the agreement and called on Canada to suspend it.