Firstly, I need to clarify, it's not the Minister of Immigration who would have the authority to designate irregular arrivals, but the Minister of Public Safety. Secondly, I reject again the characterization of immigration detention as a form of punishment. It is not. It is a necessary tool to assist us in identifying people and ensuring that they're complying with the immigration laws in respect to their actually being admissible to Canada. Thirdly, yes, I do anticipate that any changes we make to immigration laws may result in legal challenges, but we're confident that these changes are lawful.
On April 26th, 2012. See this statement in context.