Let me get this off my chest. The New York Times published a sympathetic piece on the increase of illegal crossings at the northern border to pull at your heartstrings.

It really ticked me off.

Yes, it sucks, but keep the emotion out of it, especially since Canada is not going to be helping us soon.

This is important: Anyone flying from Mexico to Canada does NOT need a visa to enter Canada.

Therefore, anyone worldwide can fly to Canada and cross the northern border into America.

I want to ask them why they aren’t staying in Canada. Some have said they don’t have work in the winter and want to end up in Orlando, FL.

My head hurts. I mean, come on.

Anyway, we have to stop ignoring the northern border. I have written a few pieces on the border.

But the situation continues to worsen. The border patrol in the Swanton Sector has apprehended over 3,100 people since October 1, the first day of Fiscal Year 2024.

Doesn’t seem like a lot, right? Well, that 3,100 number is more than the years 2022, 2021, 2020, and 2019 combined.

The people have come from 55 different countries.

Since October 1, 2023, Swanton Sector Border Patrol Agents have apprehended more than 3,100 subjects from 55 countries (more than Fiscal Years 2022, 21, 20 & 19 combined). Photo: An early morning apprehension of 4 adult males from Bangladesh on February 1, near Mooers, New York. pic.twitter.com/nAf5KG467R

— Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia (@USBPChiefSWB) February 2, 2024

New York

New York might even change its sanctuary laws because of the increase. From WGRZ:

Officials across the region have witnessed a 300% uptick in illegal crossings across the river since late December, causing concern for Western New Yorkers.

“While there’s a lot of focus on the southern border, and rightfully so, a lot of those same issues … we’re seeing impacts here in the northern border,” New York State Senator Robert Ortt said.

—

But for Niagara County politicians, the concern isn’t those they’ve been able to stop, but rather the ones they haven’t and the state’s current legislation keeping local law enforcement from intervening.

“Our local law enforcement, and in some cases, our federal partners, their hands are tied,” Ortt said. “The sanctuary state policies preclude local law enforcement … from cooperating or notifying federal authorities if they suspect someone is in this country illegally.”

Because of this, Ortt, alongside other Niagara County Republicans, announced new legislation Thursday aimed at changing the state’s sanctuary policies and restoring power to local law enforcement in these border-crossing situations.

“We’re telling you the numbers of people that have been caught,” Ortt said. “That’s the point. We don’t know if those are the actual full numbers because we have roadblocks the state of New York has put up to prevent the enforcement of federal law, and that’s the issue.”

North Dakota

Don’t forget the other portion of the northern border! Authorities arrested 34 people in northeast North Dakota in February.

This story caught my eye because all the detained are Romanian family units.

In November, I wrote about border patrol apprehending Romanians linked to organized crime at the Canada-U.S. border.

The Grand Forks Sector apprehended 300 people at the end of Fiscal Year 2023.

In 2022, the agents apprehended 81 people. In 2021? 90 people.

So far, the agents have taken in 49 people. The chart doesn’t include stats in January.

These agents need help, too. From KFYR:

“We cover 861 miles of border and we have roughly 200 agents, so our agents, they’re incredibly vigilant, but that’s a very big ask to cover that vast of an area with that few people,” said Marcus.

Residents tipped off Border Patrol about the group of migrants.

“The public is really our eyes and ears out there. They know when things are out of place,” said Marcus.

Last week, Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner wrote a letter to North and South Dakota congressional delegates, urging them to do something to help the border crisis. As of Wednesday, Feb. 7, Jahner tells us he has received no responses to his letter other than notification that it was received.

In his letter, Jahner said our states are seeing a rise in narcotics trafficking and overdoses, a rise in mental health and addiction-related issues and a rise in homelessness. He said all of these are putting huge strains on public safety. He points to the root of these issues as not necessarily being illegal immigration, but more so on drugs being brought across the southern border.

The sheriff said in Cass County alone last year, its drug task force seized almost 47 lbs. of meth, more than 10 lbs. of fentanyl pills, almost seven lbs. of heroin, more than six lbs. of cocaine, three lbs. of mushrooms, and two lbs. of fentanyl powder— all of which are said to be linked to the southern border.



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