Northern Border Patrol Sector Sets New Record In Migrant Encounters

A major section of the U.S.-Canada border recorded its largest number of weekly migrant arrests, highlighting the growing immigration crisis taking place beyond the country’s border with Mexico.

Agents deployed along the Border Patrol‘s Swanton Sector apprehended 220 illegal immigrants last week, Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia announced. He noted that this marks the highest number of arrests in a single week the sector has recorded in history.

“Swanton Sector continues to encounter an unprecedented number of undocumented migrants,” Garcia said. “During the week of April 22nd, Champlain Border Patrol Agents apprehended a total of 220 subjects, the highest number ever encountered in a single week in Swanton Sector history.”

The Swanton Sector, a section of the northern border managed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP), spans across New Hampshire, Vermont and the eastern counties of New York State.

The recent arrest milestone is the latest in a growing trend of migrant encounters in the area, and also of the U.S.-Canada border at large.

There were nearly 190,000 encounters along the northern border in fiscal year 2023, accounting for those arriving at ports of entry and those caught trying to cross between ports of entry, according to CBP data. That number marked the highest in President Joe Biden’s tenure in office.

Of those caught between ports of entry during that time, Border Patrol agents apprehended over 10,000. The Swanton Sector by far dealt with the highest number of illegal alien apprehensions, having arrested nearly 7,000 illegal immigrants attempting to cross between ports of entry, CBP data shows.

If current trends continue, this year will easily surpass the 2023 numbers. There have already been over 7,500 migrant arrests this year between ports of entry, according to the first six months of data CBP has for the northern border. there have been over 5,000 arrests at the Swanton Sector during the period.

While these numbers remain modest compared to the level of illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, the northern border is unique in the higher number of suspected terrorists encountered by agents.

A total of 487 suspected terrorists were encountered at the northern border in the 2023 fiscal year — more than the 249 suspected terrorists were caught at the southern border during that time, according to CBP data.