Border crossings in the northeastern corner of New York have increased tenfold over the last year, with nearly 2,000 migrants attempting to cross from October 2022 to February 2023. The sheriff for Clinton County is calling for more border patrol agents in the region.
David Favro, the sheriff for Clinton County in New York, is calling for more border patrol agents as his department has experienced a tenfold increase in illegal border crossings over the last year. The northern border spanning eastern New York, Vermont and New Hampshire has seen a tenfold increase in illegal border crossings in the last five months compared to the same time last year. Nearly 2,000 migrants from Mexico attempted to cross into the US via Canada from October 2022 to February 2023. Over the same period last year, only 200 migrants attempted to make the crossing.
The only way to protect the northern border is by having boots on the ground, according to Favro. While about 16,000 border agents cover the 2,000-mile border with Mexico, only about 2,000 agents cover Canada’s 5,000-mile border. Crossing the northern border comes with its own perils as it can be deadly terrain if people are not familiar with it.
CBP announced earlier this month that it would assign an additional 25 border agents to this section of the northern border. Favro’s team recently helped rescue a group of 39 migrants who had their clothes frozen to their bodies after attempting to cross into America through Canada. A local fire chief also helped rescue two migrants who got stuck in an icy swamp and needed treatment for frostbite and mild hypothermia.
Illegal immigration is a problem on both US borders; however, most attention is given to securing America’s southern borders against illegal immigrants from Latin America and Mexico. In contrast, less importance is placed on protecting its northern borders against those seeking entry from Canada.