Illegal crossings along the busiest section of the US-Canadian border — which encompasses parts of New York, Vermont and New Hampshire — have plummeted thanks to President Trump’s immigration crackdown.
Just 54 migrants were apprehended in the Swanton sector, which stretches almost 300 miles, in March. It is a drastic 95% drop from the 1,109 border crossers caught in March 2024, according to US Customs and Border Protection.
This area recorded more than 80% of all apprehensions along the northern border during the 2024 fiscal year, according to CBP figures.
Stark before-and-after photos posted by Swanton sector Border Patrol chief Robert Garcia on X on Monday show lines of migrants carrying backpacks traversing the woods a year ago, versus a lone deer grazing in the same spot now.
Under the Biden administration, illegal crossings at the northern border hit record highs as migrants were being released into the US en masse.
In the Swanton sector, more than 1,400 border crossers were caught in April 2024 — eclipsing the totals from fiscal years 2021 and 2022 combined, according to CBP figures.
