Border crossings from Canada into upstate New York, New Hampshire and Vermont reached a record number last year, as migrants take advantage of understaffed and fencing at the northern border.
More than 12,200 immigrants were caught crossing illegally from Canada last year, a 240% increase from the previous year, when only 3,578 were arrested, data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection shows.
Much of the illegal crossings (about 70%) occurred along the 295-mile Swanton sector, which includes upstate New York, New Hampshire and Vermont, the data shows.
In that sector, 3,100 people from 55 different countries have been detained since October alone, more than the total for the last four fiscal years combined, said Robert García, chief of patrols for the sector. published on Friday X.
Experts say migrants who arrive in Mexico and can afford a $350 one-way plane ticket from Mexico City or Cancun to Montreal or Toronto are heading south to cross the northern border of the United States, where they are less likely that reject them than immigrants. those who cross the southern border.
The U.S. border with Canada is much longer than the border with Mexico, and ports of entry are often understaffed as CBP focuses on increased migration at the southern border.
More than 12,200 immigrants were caught crossing illegally from Canada last year, more than double the previous year. @USBPChiefSWB /X
Additionally, there are no fences along the northern border, much of which is simply forests and dirt roads.
“The northern border has pretty much been ignored,” New York Assemblyman Billy Jones (D-Chateaugay Lake), who represents Clinton County, told the New York Times.
He added that the federal government was “failing on immigration and is failing the people who live along the border.”
About 70% of the illegal crossings occurred along the 295-mile Swanton sector. USBPBossSWB/X
In Clinton County, residents have increasingly seen immigrants walking through their fields and backyards, or carrying suitcases down back roads.
Some have sought shelter inside residents’ barns and garages to escape the cold.
Many stay in Plattsburgh, the county’s largest city, hoping to pay a $90 bus ticket to New York City, according to the newspaper.
A gas station in town has become an unofficial meeting place for migrants in need of funds, and local motels are often forced to take in migrants during the winter under a rule requiring them not to turn away travelers when temperatures fall below the freezing point.
Ports of entry along the US-Canada border are often understaffed. @USBPChiefSWB /X
Those frigid conditions have also proven deadly for migrants hoping to enter the country.
At least a dozen migrants, including families, children and a pregnant woman, have been found frozen to death in rivers or in forests bordering the two countries.
In December, U.S. border agents also found themselves providing vital aid to migrants they encountered in the cold and snow.
Sometimes, however, migrants seek help in human smuggling operations.
Robert García is the chief patrol agent for the Swanton sector. @USBPChiefSWB /X
In Syracuse, federal prosecutors have filed a series of cases aimed at cracking down on smuggling rings, detailing in court documents how smugglers help guide migrants through the woods and coordinate drivers with out-of-state license plates to pick them up. once they cross the border. .
At the same time, increasing numbers of migrants have crossed into Canada seeking asylum there, especially under the Trump administration, when many feared being deported from the United States.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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In a statement, the agency told the Times that the country has forged a close relationship with Canada to counter the influx of illegal migration.
“CBP continually adjusts to changing trends while continuing to call on Congress to provide the resources and personnel necessary to sustain and improve our border security,” the statement said.
In March, Customs and Border Protection transferred 25 agents to the northern border to address the surge in migration.
“While the apprehension numbers are small compared to other areas with irregular migration flows, the apprehensions in the Swanton sector constitute a big change in this area,” a CBP spokesperson told NBC News in November.
Migrants from Venezuela, Nigeria, Haiti and other countries arrive at the Roxham Road border crossing in Roxham, Quebec, on March 3, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
“The deployed team will serve as a force multiplier in the region and will help deter and disrupt human trafficking activities taking place in the Swanton Sector area of responsibility,” he said.
There are about 2,200 Border Patrol agents along the northern border trying to find and detain migrants using sensors, thermal camera systems and drones.
New Hampshire officials hope to bolster their efforts with a bill that would allow property owners to post “No Trespassing” signs in open spaces, except for recreational use.
The bill would pave the way for suspected undocumented immigrants to potentially be arrested by authorities for trespassing, according to NHPR.
Meanwhile, in Canada (where Quebec officials warned in January that the influx of incoming migrants was putting the province at a “breaking point”), anyone entering the county through an unofficial port of entry from the United States United States would lose the right to request asylum, according to a law. agreement between the country and the United States in March.
Politicians are also considering implementing a visa requirement for travelers from Mexico.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn