US border officials announced on Wednesday that more than 19,000 illegal immigrants were apprehended along just one sector of the US-Canada border during the 2024 fiscal year.
According to Border Patrol data, a total of 19,222 illegal immigrants were apprehended in the Swanton Sector, which spans parts of Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire and borders the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario. The illegal immigrants apprehended in the 2024 fiscal year, which ran from October 1, 2023, to October 1, 2024, came from 97 different countries, sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia revealed.
The total number of apprehensions represents a record high, surpassing the combined total of the last 17 years. In contrast, only 574 illegal immigrants were apprehended in this sector during the 2020 fiscal year. Data from Border Patrol showed a dramatic increase in crossings between fiscal years 2022 and 2023, with the number rising from 1,066 to 6,925, according to a report by Fox News.
This sharp surge has put additional pressure on authorities, as the Swanton Sector, which covers a 24,000 square mile area along the northern border, generally receives fewer resources and patrols compared to the southern border. One factor contributing to the increased illegal crossings at the northern border is that President Joe Biden’s executive order restricting asylum for most illegal crossings does not apply to those entering through the US-Canada border.
A separate report released by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week revealed that a significant number of illegal immigrants currently in the U.S. have been convicted of serious crimes, including sex offenses, homicides, and kidnappings. Tens of thousands of these individuals are reported to have crossed into the US through the northern border. Additionally, the Department of Homeland Security has issued warnings about high terrorism threat levels in the US, raising concerns that migrants with ties to terrorist organizations may enter the country illegally. US Customs and Border Protection data revealed that, through July of fiscal year 2024, 283 individuals from the terrorist watchlist were encountered at the US-Canada border—surpassing the number encountered at the southern border.
