US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents have apprehended over 19,000 illegal immigrants in a single sector of the US-Canada border during Fiscal Year (FY) 2024, surpassing the total number detained in the northern border sector over the past 17 years.
As FY 2024 concluded on Monday, Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia reported that agents in the CPB’s Swanton Sector captured illegal immigrants from 97 different countries.
In fiscal year 2024, a Border Patrol sector covering Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire apprehended just over 19,000 illegal immigrants along the US northern border.
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) October 3, 2024
pic.twitter.com/K7lMI4iV0M
“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. Report suspicious border activity in Swanton Sector: 1-800-689-3362,” Garcia posted.
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.
— Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) October 2, 2024
Report suspicious border activity in Swanton Sector: 1-800-689-3362 @USBPChief@CBP@DHSgov pic.twitter.com/BhUaYYi15B
The total of 19,222 illegal immigrants represents nearly 20 times the annual figures seen in recent years, where apprehensions typically remained below a thousand per fiscal year. For instance, CBP recorded 574 illegal immigrants in FY 2020 and 365 the following year.
However, that number has surged over the past two years, rising to 1,065 in FY 2022 and 6,925 in FY 2023, according to Border Patrol data, as reported by Fox News.
The Swanton Sector encompasses parts of three states and two provinces, covering 24,000 square miles. It includes Vermont and counties in New York (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, St. Lawrence, and Herkimer) as well as New Hampshire (Coos, Grafton, and Carroll), with Quebec and Ontario located on the other side of the border.
In response to the significant increase in cases, the Biden-Harris administration is exploring ways to expedite the processing of illegal immigrants at the northern border. President Joe Biden has acknowledged that over 100,000 refugees were admitted to the US in 2023, stating that this number was insufficient. Meanwhile, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump has criticized the Biden-Harris administration for implementing open-border policies that he claims have allowed millions of illegal immigrants to enter the country. Among those in the US illegally, there are over 13,000 convicted murderers and more than 420,000 with criminal records.
