More than 12,200 migrants apprehended crossing illegally from Canada in 2023, a 241% jump from the previous year.
Mayorkas facing second impeachment vote as border crisis rages
Clinton County, N.Y. Sheriff David Favro joined 'Fox & Friends First' to discuss how the migrant crisis has impacted the northern border as Mayorkas faces another impeachment vote.
A New York sheriff sounded the alarm on "Fox & Friends First" Tuesday about the "significant increase" in illegal immigration at the northern U.S. border.
Clinton County sheriff David Favro told hosts Todd Piro and Carley Shimkus that migrants will do "just about anything" to cross the border. The county sits along the Canadian border in the northeast corner of New York.
"People are incredibly desperate and we all know what happens when people are desperate. They'll do just about anything to accomplish their own personal goals," said Favro, adding that migrants are not prepared for the extreme cold and rough terrain and some have drowned trying to cross waterways.
Favro said "none of this is humane," and if Congress closed the borders today it would take about five to six years to "get back onto our feet."
"What we saw recently with the attack on our colleagues and law enforcement down in New York City, was just repulsive. And it's somewhat alarming that our government can stand by and watch something like that happen and think that it's in any way remotely acceptable and not going to continue to be a larger future problem."
6344061972112Favro described how individuals are crossing from Canada into the United States.
"You have individuals coming from foreign countries that have significant amounts of money. So those families can afford to pay for transportation. They can actually take them, get a plane ride and fly right into Montreal and then work their way down to the border. And many others are being smuggled. Many others are ending up with package deals that they can buy from the cartels, upwards of $10,000-12,000, to be able to give them maps to get themselves up through the landline from Mexico, all the way up here to Canada," he said.
Migrants crossing the northern border. (Customs and Border Protection)
New York, Vermont and New Hampshire counties have seen a record uptick in illegal border crossings in the last quarter as more migrants are reportedly crossing into Canada to avoid detection.
As more migrants swarm the southern border, increasing numbers have turned to the less-fortified, more expansive U.S.-Canada border, the New York Times noted in a report published Sunday, detailing how U.S. officials at the northern border have recorded 191,603 encounters with people crossing into the United States last year, a 41% increase from 2022.
While most still use legal ports of entry, more than 12,200 migrants were apprehended crossing illegally from Canada in 2023, a 241% uptick from the 3,578 arrested the previous year.
Canada does not require travelers from Mexico to have a visa to enter the country. As a result, the Times report said, a 295-mile strip of the border along those northeastern states known as the Swanton Sector has seen a tremendous increase.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Elizabeth Heckman is a digital production assistant with Fox News.
