A section of the border between the United States and Canada has recorded its highest number of apprehensions for illegal migrant crossings in one month.
Officials for the Swanton Sector in Vermont said there were 1,109 apprehensions in March 2024. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures, this is up from 756 in March 2023, and just 61 in March 2022.
The March 2024 figure of 1,109 is higher than the total amount of crossings in all of 2022, which was 1,065.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia of the Border Patrol Swanton Sector said the 1,109 apprehensions last month included people from 40 different countries.
"The top three nationalities apprehended were 408 Indian, 323 Bangladeshi, and 170 Mexican nationals," Garcia said.
Newsweek reached out to the Customs and Border Protection's press office via email for further comment.
The Context
The issue of illegal migrant crossing on both the northern and southern border looks set to be one of the hot topic issues heading into the 2024 election between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee.
Biden has long faced criticism for the record-breaking levels of illegal crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Elsewhere, polls suggest that voters believe Trump will be the better candidate for handling immigration if he is in the White House next January.
What We Know
Customs and Border Protection defines apprehensions as any physical control or temporary detainment of a person who is not lawfully in the U.S. which may or may not result in an arrest.
The Swanton Sector, which was established on May 1, 1926, covers the border with Canada in Vermont, New Hampshire, and eastern New York.
The March 2024 figures from the Swanton Sector are also part of a larger trend of Indian nationals attempting to illegally cross the northern border.
According to official figures, 30,010 Indian nationals were apprehended at the northern border in 2023, compared to just 2,225 who were held in 2021.
Views
US Border Patrol Swanton Sector said on Facebook: "We appreciate our community and the consistent support during the unprecedented increase of illegal crossings in the Northern Border. Please continue to report any suspicious activity."
In February, Representative Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio, shared a report about rising apprehensions at the northern border on X, writing, "Every state is a border state because of Biden's border crisis. Where's the leadership?"
Update 4/22/24, 7:53 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ewan Palmer is a Newsweek News Reporter based in London, U.K. His focus is reporting on US politics, domestic policy ... Read more
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