Twice As Many Suspects On Terror Watchlist Arrested Entering Through Canada Than Mexico In 2024

The Biden administration's executive order, enactedin June, has had a major impact on the number of unlawful crossings at the southern border, reaching its lowest monthly figure during the president's tenure for the month of September.

As the focus has been placed on migrants coming in from Mexico, the number of migrants coming into the country from the north has also skyrocketed, as U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents have reported nearly 20,000 encounters with migrants between ports of entry on the U.S.-Canada border in the last year, an increase of 95% from the previous one.

CBS News reports the northern has become, in some respects, even more perilous than the southern one. Border Patrol data shows that 358 suspects on the terror watchlist were arrested on the northern border at ports of entry in fiscal year 2024, compared to155 suspects encountered in the southern one in the same time frame.

The report found that there have been roughly 19,000 people arrested for unlawful border crossing from the north in fiscal year 2024, which is about the same amount as the last 17 years combined.

Customs and Border Protection notes, however, that the massive 295 miles of border terrain encompassing eastern New York, all of Vermont, and New Hampshire known as the Swanton Sector, has seen a 52% reduction in encounters since June, coinciding with Biden's aforementioned executive order.

The piece also revealed that the number of migrants arriving at the northern border has shifted in nationality, now predominantly from India and East Asia, as Canada has reimposed visa requirements for Mexican nationals and fewer Mexican migrants have attempted to cross into the U.S. via Canada.

Canada's recent immigration policy changes, including caps on foreign workers and international students, may prompt more individuals to consider illegal entry into the U.S. from Canada, according to immigration experts.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently announced a reduction in its immigration targets, indicating it will accept up to 27% fewer new permanent residents over the next three years, noting that the high levels of immigration experienced in recent years have led to significant economic and social challenges.