Border Patrol official: Over 19K illegal immigrants apprehended at the northern border during fiscal year 2024

10/09/2024 / By Laura Harris

A Border Patrol official has revealed that 19,222 illegal immigrants have been apprehended along the Swanton Sector of the United States border with Canada during the 2024 fiscal year.

According to Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia, head of the Swanton Sector, the recently concluded fiscal year, which ran from Oct. 1, 2023, to Sept. 30, saw a record number of apprehensions from 97 countries in this typically quiet northern region.

The number of migrants intercepted in this sector has skyrocketed over the past few years. For comparison, in FY 2020, Border Patrol agents in the Swanton Sector apprehended just 574 illegal immigrants. This number slightly decreased to 364 in FY 2021, but jumped to 1,065 in FY 2022 and soared to 6,925 in FY 2023. The 2024 total surpasses the apprehensions of the past 17 years combined. (Related: North Dakota AG warns of looming CRISIS at the NORTHERN BORDER.)

“Border Patrol Agents in Swanton Sector have apprehended more than 19,222 subjects from 97 different countries since October 1, 2023, which is more than its last 17 fiscal years combined,” Garcia posted on X.

The Swanton Sector spans 24,000 square miles and includes the U.S.-Canada border along Vermont, New Hampshire and parts of Upstate New York – from Clinton County all the way west to St. Lawrence County. It borders the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, regions historically seen as less active for illegal crossings compared to the U.S.-Mexico border.

U.S.-Canada border is exempted from asylum restrictions

This influx has been evident from the firsthand experience of residents along the northern border.

Chris Feeley, a 52-year-old property owner in Upstate New York, recounted watching migrants cross his land, sometimes in the middle of winter, undeterred by snow and freezing temperatures.

“Now I’ve got the Border Patrol guys on speed dial,” Feeley said in February. He described a growing sense of unease as smugglers openly led groups of migrants through his property, often equipped with walking sticks and smartphones.

“He stopped right underneath me and was looking at his iPhone and was following a trail, so obviously somebody gave him a route of which way to go,” said Feeley. “I was just stunned, I didn’t know what to do. I just let them walk off, I gave them 10 minutes before I went back to the barn to call Border Patrol.”

One of the reasons for the recent surge in crossings at the northern border is that the 5,500-mile U.S.-Canada border is not subject to the new asylum restrictions of the White House.

“The executive order doesn’t affect us,” a Border Patrol source at the northern border said in July. “Family units are getting released and singles are sent to detention for adjudication.”

Illegal immigrants attempting to enter the U.S. through Mexico are usually subjected to immediate detainment and deportation, but those crossing the Canadian border are often released or sent to detention centers for further processing. This, in turn, has attracted migrants from across the globe, who are increasingly choosing the northern route due to its relatively sparse security and enforcement.

Check out OpenBorders.news for more stories about illegal aliens crossing the northern border.

Watch Mike Martins discuss how illegal aliens crossing the northern border from Canada are affecting the United States.

This video is from the Mike Martins Channel on Brighteon.com.