Staff Reports
Border Patrol agents at the northern border are racking up impressive numbers, and not the kind found on a golf scorecard. In fiscal year 2024, which runs from October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024, agents reported an astounding 198,929 encounters with those looking to illegally cross into the United States, setting a new record. This figure tops the previous year, when 189,402 illegal border crossers were caught, proving that the Biden-Harris administration excels at breaking records—just not the good kind.
What’s particularly eye-opening is the trend. Since the Biden administration took office, northern border apprehensions have been skyrocketing like a firework on the Fourth of July. The escaping from the fiscal year 2022 count of 109,535 was like watching a deficit balloon. It’s telling that in fiscal 2021, during the final months of the Trump administration, only 6,522 illegal crossings were reported. Clearly, some people prefer to cross through a real-life version of “Guess Who?” at the northern border instead of taking a hike through the more monitored southern routes.
The Swanton Sector, covering parts of Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire, has emerged as a hotspot for illegal crossings. Agents apprehended a whopping 19,385 individuals from 97 different countries, without even needing to promote any frequent-flyer miles. It’s hard to believe that this number represents more illegal entries than the previous 17 years combined, suggesting that northern border security might want to upgrade its coffee supply; all this activity might keep agents up late at night planning their next strategy.
Northern border sector encounters break records again in fiscal 2024 https://t.co/BDRpgKCwKo
— Just the News (@JustTheNews) November 5, 2024
The irony here is rich. While the current administration insists that the border is closed and access is controlled, the numbers tell a different story. In fiscal 2024 alone, the U.S. government recorded almost 3 million illegal border crossings nationwide. The claims of a secure border appear to be more fiction than fact, akin to a poorly scripted soap opera. And in an amusing twist, many of these crossings aren’t coming from the usual suspects but rather travelers from diverse countries—yes, even folks from Canada are getting in on the action.
The threat level is not just a concern over unauthorized crossing; it’s increasingly about national security. A notable number of individuals apprehended have raised alarm bells—over 1,200 known or suspected terrorists have attempted entry from Canada since fiscal 2021. That’s a staggering 64% of all KSTs (known or suspected terrorists) caught nationwide, sending a clear message: the north isn’t just a friendly neighborhood, it seems to be a veritable walk-in waiting room for those with nefarious intentions. The apparent lack of Canadian enforcement against these individuals furthers worries about the genuine “community safety” narrative they like to project.
The Biden administration, alongside Canada under Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, has continued to downplay these issues while the numbers paint a grim picture. As cold winds whip through the northern border, it seems the administration needs not only better understanding but also better methods for keeping tabs on who’s making their way into America.
One has to wonder what it will take for officials to wake up and realize that when it comes to border security, both ends of the nation face similar challenges—but it’s much harder to deny the northern chaos when the statistics keep breaking records. Let’s look forward to the next set of numbers with cautious optimism, because if the current trend continues, it would take a miracle—or a sudden change in administration—to turn things around.
