As illegal border crossings fall rapidly at the U.S.-Mexico border under President Donald Trump, a dramatic shift is also taking place at the border with Canada, according to recent data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
At the Swanton Sector, which encompasses nearly 300 miles of border in New York, New Hampshire, and Vermont, illegal crossings dropped 95%, from 1,109 apprehensions reported in March 2024 to 54 this March, The Post Millennial reported Tuesday.
CBP Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia posted on X that there was a “stark contrast between 1,109 apprehensions in March 2024 & this March with just 54 apprehensions across the Swanton Sector; a 95% decrease!”
The Swanton Sector accounted for more than 80% of the apprehensions at the northern border in 2024.
Tricia McLaughlin, an assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, told the Ari Hoffman Show on Talk Radio 570 KVI that the administration is working to make sure that both of the nation’s borders get enough resources and attention to stop illegal immigration.
“Secretary [Kristi] Noem has been laser-focused on the northern border,” McLaughlin said. “She visited just last month and found that Border Patrol agents lacked even the most basic tools, like snow tires. That’s changing now.”
Illegal crossings surged under former President Joe Biden’s administration, with more than 1,400 apprehensions in the Swanton Sector, or more than the totals of fiscal years 2021 and 2022 combined.
“We were seeing a 200% increase in smuggling and other criminal activity under Biden, but now, under President Trump, we’ve seen record lows,” said McLaughlin.
Similar trends are being seen at the southern border, where agents recorded about 7,100 illegal crossings this March, a drop of 97% from the same month in 2024, when 137,000 illegal crossings were recorded.
“There is now a clear message: You cannot come into the U.S. without consequence,” said McLaughlin. “If you’re part of a cartel, you will be arrested and jailed.
“In just 70 days, we’ve achieved the most secure border in American history. That’s what voters demanded on Nov. 5 — secure borders and the enforcement of our immigration laws.”
McLaughlin also mentioned a case that involves an undocumented immigrant being accused of killing a Washington state trooper, and said that ICE usually enforces detainers in such situations, but sometimes cooperation varies.
“In places like New York, we’ve seen improvement, but in other sanctuary states, our ICE operations are still being hamstrung,” McLaughlin said. “These policies create safe havens for pedophiles, gang members, and other dangerous criminals.”
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