Tamara Lich is serving a conditional sentence that includes 12 months of house arrest after being convicted for her role in organizing the 2022 convoy occupation of downtown Ottawa. She’s now asking the court for permission to leave Canada to attend White House events, participate in a Rebel News Caribbean cruise, and make other media appearances in the United States. She has every legal right to ask. That’s how Canada’s justice system works. The Crown has every right to oppose it. Prosecutors argue that granting broad international travel while someone is serving a sentence would undermine the very purpose of that sentence and allow Lich to continue building a public profile—and potentially earning income—from the events that resulted in her conviction. But there’s another issue that deserves attention. The United States has some of the strictest rules in the world regarding the admission of people with criminal convictions. Every year, thousands of Canadians are denied entry or required to obtain special waivers because of past convictions, including offences that occurred decades earlier. U.S. border officials routinely exercise broad discretion when determining admissibility. So if individuals connected to the White House are inviting someone currently serving a criminal sentence in Canada to attend events in Washington, it’s fair to ask what message that sends. Imagine the reaction if Canadian officials invited an American political activist serving a criminal sentence in the United States to Parliament Hill. Washington would almost certainly view it as interference in its domestic affairs. Respect for an ally’s justice system should work both ways. If these invitations are being extended despite Lich’s current legal status, they risk appearing dismissive of the decisions made by Canadian courts and, intentionally or not, create the perception that American political actors are inserting themselves into Canada’s domestic political debates. Regardless of your views on the convoy, this case is about more than one individual. It’s about respecting the rule of law, recognizing that criminal sentences carry consequences, and expecting our closest ally to respect Canada’s legal institutions just as Canada is expected to respect theirs. The court—not politicians, commentators, or foreign governments—will decide whether her request meets the legal test. That’s exactly how it should be.