So much focus of the migration crisis has been placed on the U.S. southern border with Mexico — and naturally so. Yet, at the same time that records have been set at the southern border in terms of encounters with illegal immigrants, the same is happening at the northern border with Canada.
Data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reveals that in the last year, more than 12,200 illegal immigrants were caught trying to cross into the U.S. That’s a significant increase from the year before when there were a little more than 3,500 arrested.
According to Robert Garcia, a chief patrol agent for CBP, 3,100 illegal aliens were apprehended at the northern border just in the months since Oct. 1. That’s more than every fiscal year from 2019 to 2022 combined.
Since October 1, 2023, Swanton Sector Border Patrol Agents have apprehended more than 3,100 subjects from 55 countries (more than Fiscal Years 2022, 21, 20 & 19 combined). Photo: An early morning apprehension of 4 adult males from Bangladesh on February 1, near Mooers, New York. pic.twitter.com/nAf5KG467R
— Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) February 2, 2024
Many illegal immigrants are finding it easier to cross into the U.S. undetected through the northern border, where heavily wooded areas keep them hidden from Border Patrol agents. In addition, Canada has more lax laws for immigration and visitors than Mexico does, making it more attractive for some people to try to get into the U.S. from the north rather than the south.
One of the main concerns about the well-being of these people trying to cross through Canada is that they could easily become lost, and freeze to death in frigid conditions.
About 70% of all northern border crossings happened along what’s known as the Swanton Sector, covering New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York.
Much like their counterparts in Texas have done in the south, New Hampshire lawmakers are considering whether to create a new law to help them combat this illegal immigration on their own.
One such law would enable landowners to erect signs that say “no trespassing” on some open spaces. If that happens, law enforcement agencies would then be able to arrest illegal immigrants and charge them with criminal trespassing.
If New Hampshire were to move forward with such an effort, it could draw the ire of the federal government — which has already challenged a new Texas law that allows state law enforcement agencies to arrest illegal immigrants trespassing in their state.
