The United States began transporting migrants crossing from Canada to the US to Texas for processing and, as the case may be, deporting them to Mexico or their country of origin under a border restriction introduced by covid-19, according to an official of National Security.
The US Border Patrol recently recorded a record number of migrant crossings in the northern region, prompting the agency to send additional authorities to the area to help.
Swanton Sector, which covers more than 25,000 square miles along the US-Canada border, is understaffed than sectors along the southern US border and is under pressure from increased border crossings.
“Swanton Sector Agents are reporting elevated levels of illegal entries from Canada. In just over 5 months, we have apprehended more people than in the last 3 fiscal years combined,” Swanton Sector Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia said in a tweet, calling it “unprecedented.”
From October to February, Swanton Sector agents encountered nearly 2,000 migrants, according to data from the US Customs and Border Protection. Though higher than in years past, agents along the southern border from the US encounter just under 5,000 migrants in one day.