Tempers flared as two Liberal Winnipeg MPs toured the small border town of Emerson Saturday.

“Why don't these people come to our country the way everyone else had to, the legal way?” said Ernie Hildebrand, who lives near the border in between Emerson and Gretna, Manitoba.

“They are going to be processed in a legal way for sure,” said MaryAnn Mihychuk, who represents the riding of Kildonan-St. Paul.

Mihychuk and Winnipeg Centre MP Robert-Falcon Ouellette met with locals and toured Emerson to learn about the increasing number of men, women and children illegally crossing the border on foot into Manitoba from the United States.

Hundreds of people, mostly from African countries, have made the dangerous trek from Minnesota and North Dakota over the past year.

A new trailer outside the Canada Border Services Agency is now a waiting room. It was brought to the site to handle the overflow.

Joe Paulich believes the spike in crossings is changing his town and not for the better.

He said he now he makes sure his doors are locked and some neighbours have started turning off their lights at night so people entering the town don't come knocking.

"Everybody is sad. They are not happy here anymore,” said Paulich. “I doubt people will stop it until the government changes their policies."

The meeting comes as CTV News is learning about the federal government's plans to address the issue with the United States government.

The U.S. Border and Customs Patrol falls under the Department of Homeland Security. The patrol has previously told CTV News it is not illegal for people to cross the border into Canada and coordinates with RCMP and Canadian officials when it comes to people crossing or attempt to cross.

Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale spokesperson Scott Bardsley told CTV News Saturday that Goodale has a meeting with Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in the coming weeks. He said the number of people illegally crossing the border on foot into Canada will be one of the topics Goodale plans to bring up at the meeting.

Bardsley couldn't confirm a date for the meeting, but said it would be taking place in the "near future." 

READ MORE: International media spotlight on Emerson as more asylum seekers cross border on foot

"There are additional resources being supplied already by CBSA and by RCMP. They’ve reallocated personnel and other resources to make sure that they have the people on the ground to deal immediately with the situation as it stands," said Goodale Thursday.

"We’re doing analysis, we need to know exactly where newcomers are coming from, both in their transit across the United States and the original source of point of departure as well. We need to clearly understand this and anticipate where the ebbs and flows may go over the next number of weeks and months. We want to make sure country is prepared to deal with all of this properly," Goodale said.

Thursday, Premier Brian Pallister called for a national strategy to deal with the influx of people crossing the border.

Goodale said he is looking forward to working with provincial officials on the issue.

Mihychuk and Ouellette will also be bringing a message back to Ottawa.

"I spoke to the immigration minister and he sincerely wanted to know what the needs were," said Mihychuk.

"Systems are not going to change overnight. There may be flaws from time to time, but our systems are some of the most secure in the country," said Rita Chahal, executive director with the Manitoba Interfaith Immigration Council

Chahal said since Jan. 0=1, 2017 her staff processed 139 refugee claims from people crossing the border. She said some of those people have now left Manitoba and made their way to Toronto.