Border crisis spreads to Canada as Vermont sector asks for help with migrant surge in frigid weather

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Migrant influx reaches northern border

Fox News' Casey Stegall and former Yuma Sector Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem on how northern border is also seeing an influx of border crossings

Fox News' Casey Stegall reported Monday on "America's Newsroom" that the northern U.S. border with Canada has seen close to 56,000 migrant encounters in the 2023 fiscal year, which began October 1.

As a result, border agents are being moved from the southern border to assist their colleagues at the Swanton, Vermont crossing. Stegall said officials are primarily seeing Mexican nationals crossing during a time that is typically slow because of extreme weather conditions. 

For all of 2021, the northern border only had about 27,000 crossings, according to Stegall. He said the Swanton sector saw 367 apprehensions in January, higher than the previous 12 January months combined. 

An internal email obtained by Stegall requested volunteers to go to the northern border area to "increase detection and custody operations, transportation and flight line security operations." 

MIGRANT ENCOUNTERS HIT 156,274 IN JANUARY AS BIDEN ADMIN CLAIMS NEW BORDER MEASURES ARE WORKING

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To help with the influx, Border Patrol is recruiting volunteers to start as early as March 1st. 

Former Yuma (Ariz.) Sector Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem said the northern border is often forgotten because the volume at the southern border is "astronomical."

"This is why we need the resources, not just on the southern border, but our northern border and our coasts as well," said Clem. 

Clem said "electronic travel authorization allows [migrants], basically visa-free, to fly in from Mexico to Canada, which means now they have access to move about Canada freely. And then at that point, they're coming in."

Clem said the influx of migrants is something that requires a "policy response." 

"We have to stand strong. We ought to stand firm with our partners. We need the administration to reach out to Canada, just like we need them to reach out to Mexico and hold them accountable to make sure both borders are secure."

According to CBP’s January update, Border Patrol agents at the northern and southern borders seized 264 lbs of fentanyl in January, up from 66 lbs in January last year and just 5lbs in December.

However, the amount seized when including OFO’s seizures at ports of entry is much higher. 

Overall, 1,200 lbs of fentanyl were seized in January across all ports of entry, up from 796 lbs from January last year -- but down from the massive 6,200 lbs seized in December. Overall this fiscal year so far 12,000 lbs have been seized by OFO (CBP’s Office of Field Operations (OFO)

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Seizures at the ports themselves were highlighted this week when CBP officers in Nogales nabbed nearly 200,000 fentanyl pills and two pounds of powder under the seat of a vehicle.

Fox News' Adam Shaw contributed to this report.

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