U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has earmarked millions of dollars for a bulk order for 20 armoured vehicles from Canadian defence manufacturer Roshel that are built to resist bullets and bomb blasts.
U.S. government procurement records show the department laying out plans for an order worth the equivalent of about C$10 million for 20 Senator vehicles — a type of armoured tactical vehicle used by Ukraine in its war with Russia.
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The justification for the sole-source order was published in a partially redacted document on a U.S. federal procurement website on Nov. 26, and the site states that a contract was awarded on Nov. 28.
The procurement document says only Roshel, which is headquartered in Brampton, Ont., meets the department’s requirements and can complete the order within 30 days.
The department, commonly known as ICE, is awash in controversy and allegations of human rights abuses as U.S. President Donald Trump pursues a campaign to expel vast numbers of immigrants residing in the country illegally.
The order comes despite Trump’s “America-first” trade policy and as he pursues a protracted trade war to poach jobs and plants from the Canadian steel, manufacturing and automotive sectors.
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