Border Patrol agents at a major sector apprehended more migrants last month than in two previous years combined, highlighting how the immigration crisis extends beyond the Mexican border.
Border Patrol agents working at the northeastern Swanton Sector conducted more than 1,400 apprehensions in the month of April, Chief Agent Robert Garcia announced on Tuesday. This number, a record for this sector, marks more apprehensions in one month than in the entire years of 2022 and 2021 combined. (RELATED: Panama’s Incoming President Wants To Shut Down His Country’s Most Treacherous Route For Migrants — But Will It Work?)
“Another record-breaking milestone in northern border history! Swanton Sector continues to encounter an unprecedented number of undocumented migrants, with well over 1,400 apprehensions in the month of April, surpassing the total number of apprehensions of FY 21 and FY 22 combined,” Garcia, who leads the Swanton Sector, said in a public statement.
Another record-breaking milestone in northern border history!Swanton Sector continues to encounter an unprecedented number of undocumented migrants, with well over 1,400 apprehensions in the month of April, surpassing the total number of apprehensions of FY 21 and FY 22 combined. pic.twitter.com/cBF9P8R4Q9
— Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) May 14, 2024
The announcement comes just days after the Swanton Sector reported the arrest of 220 illegal immigrants in the final week of April — their highest number of weekly arrests in the sector’s history.
The Swanton Sector, a segment 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 region has experienced a dramatic uptick in illegal immigration in recent time.
Border Patrol agents in this sector experienced nearly 7,000 encounters in fiscal year 2023, far more than the 1,065 encounters in FY 2022 and the 365 encounters in FY 2021, according to CBP data. If current trends continue, this fiscal year will easily exceed the 2023 numbers.
As for the northern border as a whole, there were roughly 190,000 encounters at ports of entry and those caught trying to enter between ports of entry in FY 2023, according to CBP data, marking the highest number of northern border encounters in President Joe Biden’s time in office.
While the northern border has experienced an uptick in illegal immigration, their numbers still pale in comparison to the U.S.-Mexico border. Border Patrol agents deployed at the southern border have had roughly 6 million encounters since Biden assumed office, the latest data shows.
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