As the southern border of the US is increasingly fortified by the Trump administration, there is rising concern about the growing number of undocumented immigrants entering the country illegally via its Canadian northern border. Court documents and officials reveal that smugglers have been paid up to $4,000 to help people cross the border, which lies between Vermont and Quebec.
Although the arrest statistics are small compared to those on the southern border, the sophisticated nature of the human smuggling operations is the same. Richard Ross, an agent with the US Border Patrol, says the smugglers are well organized and have scouted both the area and the number of Border Patrol agents attempting to protect the border.
The increase is driven by the ease of entering Canada, where Mexicans no longer need visas, and the border receives less scrutiny and security resources than the southern border. A high proportion of the illegal border crossing in Vermont seems focused on a segment of the border between Vermont and Quebec. It runs for 30 miles and sees Interstate 91 reach the border with Canada at Derby Line, which is about 50 miles to the southeast of Montreal.
Christina Nolan, the US attorney in Vermont, said that the number of undocumented immigrant apprehensions at the border between Vermont and Canada has skyrocketed, with 267 apprehended so far in this year, compared to 132 in 2017.