Tensions flared in Emerson, Man., Friday as residents sparred over what should be done about people illegally crossing the U.S.-Canada border and seeking refuge in the small border town.

Conservative MP Ted Falk and immigration critic Michelle Rempel visited Emerson to get a first-hand look at the issue. They accused the Liberal government of taking a soft stand on the potential safety threat of illegal migrants.

“We need to protect the integrity of our borders,” Falk said.

That message sparked some anger in the crowd.

“We don’t need a bunch of political people coming here stirring up hatred and discrimination,” resident Joyce Dayton told CTV News.

Speaking directly to Rempel, Dayton said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau "has opened the gate. He's welcoming people, like we (always) have in Canada.”

"All we're asking today is that people come to Canada legally," Rempel responded.

The exchange of words quickly escalated into a shouting match as news cameras rolled.

“This is about illegal immigration, this is not about the colour of someone’s skin!” another woman told Dayton.

Resident Tanya Neufeld sided with Rempel: “I am 100 per cent in support of immigration -- legally, not illegally."

Crossings dropped in April

What to do about illegal immigrants is a divisive topic in Emerson, where the national issue has unfolded in residents’ backyards. Unguarded fields along the border make the illegal crossing relatively easy. Last night, nine more asylum seekers crossed the border near the town. They join hundreds of others who have made the crossing since Jan. 1.

The federal government has been slow to release precise numbers of the crossings. But CTV News has learned that the number of border jumpers dropped last month. In April, 157 people jumped the border, down from 170 in March.

It’s been reported that nearly half of people crossing into Canada have criminal records. Sources tell CTV News that number is closer to 15 per cent.

In Manitoba, 12 people have crossed into Manitoba with serious criminal records that would have meant at least 10 years of prison time in Canada.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale acknowledged Friday that some crossing into Manitoba have been flagged as threats to public safety.

“The (Canada Border Services Agency) reported the detection of three, and they are detained,” Goodale said in Ottawa.

Asylum seekers avoid crossing at formal border checkpoints because the Safe Third Country Agreement between Canada and the U.S. stipulates that those who already claimed asylum in the U.S. must be turned back at the border.

By crossing illegally, asylum seekers access a legal loophole that entitles them to a formal hearing in Canada if they are considered refugees.

Rempel: Government should debate border rules

The rules have come under fire. Immigration lawyers have said they’ve seen a major influx of requests from refugees, many of whom made the journey after nightfall in dangerously cold temperatures. Former Conservative immigration minister Jason Kenney has called on the government to keep the Safe Third Country Agreement but scrap the loophole that encourages them to make the illegal crossings.

Rempel called for the federal government to have a “very strong debate” about whether to reconsider the convention.

"Canada actually has not talked about a lot of these issues, and ... this is a conversation that is very worthy of having right now, but also we need action in a short period of time,” Rempel said.

Emerson Reeve Greg Janzen said Ottawa should amend the Third Country Agreement to allow refugee claimants who already asked for U.S. asylum to plead their case at proper border crossings, such as the one near Emerson.

"It would be much safer for these people that are coming into our town because this area ... there's no lights, no signage, nothing, so in the middle of the night, they don't know where they're going," Janzen said.

The majority of asylum seekers crossing into Canada are from African countries, such as Ghana, Djibouti and Somalia. Since January, nearly 500 people have made the crossing.

Rempel is calling for an emergency debate in Parliament next week on the issue. Falk has asked Trudeau to visit the community himself.

With a report from CTV’s Manitoba Bureau Chief Jill Macyshon and files from The Canadian Press