John,

Earlier this month, I led a delegation to the Northwest Angle. This Minnesota exclave in Lake of the Woods County – accessible by land only via a remote Canadian highway – is hurting.

The U.S.-Canada border has now been closed to non-essential travel for 16 months. It has impacted everyone who calls the Northwest Angle home.

Today we finally got some positive news about these overboard restrictions and hope we can get life back to normal for Angle residents and property owners. The Canadian federal government just announced that fully vaccinated travelers from the U.S. will be allowed to enter the country starting on August 9.

My staff and I were joined by State Senator Paul Utke, State Representative Matt Grossell, and Lake of the Woods Tourism Director Joe Henry. We met with affected business owners, workers, and residents, and worked to promote this trip in the media to call attention to the devastating impacts of this border shutdown on U.S. citizens.

All that resort and cabin owners, guides and others in the Northwest Angle want is to return to doing what they love. They are facing real hardship and uncertainty halfway through their second summer with little to no business.

We must continue to URGE President Biden and government officials from both sides of the border to prioritize reopening. I will continue to push the bills I’ve introduced in Congress to provide economic relief to those who’ve been impacted.

I’ll be sure you keep you posted with new developments on this critical issue.

-Michelle