WASHINGTON — Canada’s ambassador to the United States says the Nexus program, which expedites the passage of “pre-approved, low-risk” travelers at borders, is being “held hostage” by US attempts to renegotiate the 20-year-old deal held”.

Kirsten Hillman made the comments during a day-long summit on border issues between Canada and the United States, held at the Canadian Embassy in Washington.

The Nexus program was developed jointly by the Canada Border Services Agency and the United States Customs and Border Protection. It aims to expedite border crossings, both Canadian and American, by “pre-approved, low-risk” travelers. These travelers must register at a center to receive their Nexus certificate.

However, the 13 Nexus registration centers in Canada, staffed by Canadian and American agents, remain closed over a dispute over legal protections for American pre-screening agents working there.

Ms Hillman said as this dispute drags on, the backlog of registration applications — more than 350,000 — is only growing as pressure to resolve the dispute continues to mount.

The Canadian ambassador claims Washington is trying to unilaterally renegotiate the terms of the deal, a situation she describes as “disappointing” and “frustrating.”

The United States wants its agents working in Canadian registration centers to have the same legal protections as those at land border crossings and airports.

“There is an attempt to unilaterally renegotiate the terms of a 20-year-old program, and the program is being held hostage by this effort,” Hillman said. We all need to recognize that we have to work on the issues, but it will take time and in the meantime we cannot essentially bring the whole program to its knees.

Public Safety Secretary Marco Mendicino has acknowledged that US Customs officers at Nexus centers are not entitled to the same legal protections that officers at airports and land border crossings enjoy.