Federal Immigration Minister Lena Diab stated she is not aware of any directive from the U.S. government urging Canada to reduce its immigration levels. This response comes after reports surfaced about a diplomatic cable allegedly sent from the Trump administration to the U.S. Embassy in Ottawa. The cable reportedly instructed U.S. diplomats to encourage Canada and other allies to lower their immigration rates.

When asked if Canada considers U.S. advice in setting its immigration levels, Diab emphasized her extensive consultations with economists, department officials, and stakeholders across Canada. "Quite frankly, the provinces and territories, they were my main partners because immigration in Canada is a joint provincial, territorial, federal jurisdiction. Those are the individuals that I consult with when we develop our levels plan," she said.

The New York Times reported that the cable, sent by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, directed U.S. ambassadors in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and several European countries to advocate for lower immigration levels. The cable also instructed diplomats to monitor and report on any government that appears to be overly supportive of immigrants.

Diab expressed her unfamiliarity with the report, stating, "It's not something I’m familiar with… unless something happened overnight." She made these comments during a news conference in Ottawa, where she announced new initiatives to support the settlement of Francophone immigrants outside Quebec.

The government plans to invest approximately $3.6 million in four new projects funded by the Francophone Immigration Support Program. Diab noted that these initiatives aim to attract skilled Francophone immigrants to address labor shortages in sectors such as health care, education, and early childhood development.