Are you a musician planning to tour the US? Here are two cautionary tales.

While Canadians have curtailed a lot of travel to the US (business trips, vacations, shopping excursions) since Donald Trump started threatening us with annexation and tariffs, musicians are still trying to tour south of the border. This, however, comes with new hazards.

First, take the story of Nova Scotia folksingers Cassie and Maggie MacDonald (they perform as Cassie and Maggie). They were driving from Pittsburgh to Columbus in a rental with Oklahoma plates when they were pulled over by cops. They were separated, put into two different cruisers and asked questions like “Which do you prefer: Canada or the US?” That’s…disturbing.

Their car was also searched for drugs by a canine unit because the cops sad the car smelled like narcotics. The dog came up empty, but the trooper made it very clear that they were looking for fentanyl.

Then there’s the tale of venerable British punk band UK Subs. They were scheduled to play a punk festivalin the US but were denied entry. After being referred for more questioning upon arrival at American customs, they were told that their visas weren’t correct. The band also suspects that the group’s critical social media posts about the Trump administration had something to do with it. (Hey, it’s happened to other people.) You can read about the band’s encounter with US Immigration here.

And it’s not just musicians who are being singled out. Doctors, scientists, ordinary businesspeople, and tourists are being given the gears by customs. No wonder people are avoiding any kind of travel to the US.