Trump is focusing on illegal immigration at the U.S.-Canada border.

Trump is focusing on illegal immigration at the U.S.-Canada border. Here's how certain migrants make their way across.

An upstate New York sheriff, whose county borders Canada, attributes a recent decline in illegal immigration to President Trump's policies but cautions that this tranquility may not last. Sheriff David Favro oversees Clinton County, New York, which spans about 28 miles of the northern border region designated as the Swanton Sector by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Last year saw an unprecedented surge in illegal crossings in this sector, with over 19,000 migrant arrests—more than the previous 17 years combined. Favro, a Democrat who has been sheriff six times, notes that there has been a recent decrease in activity. "Right now, our mindset is, 'When is something going to happen?' That's our main concern. It's always in the back of every law enforcement officer's mind," Favro stated. "When the numbers are down, it gets eerily quiet, and that makes us worry about the silence." Ways Migrants Cross the U.S.-Canada Border: In contrast to the 1.5 million illegal crossings at the southern border last year, fewer than 24,000 migrants crossed illegally from Canada, with over 80% of apprehensions occurring in the Swanton Sector.
The migrants arrested came from 97 different countries, primarily India and Mexico, and continue to attempt crossings throughout the year, even in extreme weather. During winter, authorities frequently respond to emergency calls from stranded migrants. In January, a group of six Haitians, including a 9-year-old girl, became lost in the woods, leading to serious injuries for some. Last month, a man from Spain suffered severe frostbite. "They face numerous challenges, with the harshest being the freezing temperatures," Favro explained. "As they walk through snow, their clothes and boots get wet, often without realizing it. They're so desperate to reach their destination that they don't recognize when frostbite begins to set in, which is one of the greatest dangers." Favro recalled the tragic story of Ana Vazquez-Flores, a pregnant woman who died crossing the border in the snow in 2023. Vazquez-Flores and her husband had hired a Colombian man in Quebec who advertised smuggling services on TikTok to guide them. Conducting searches for "border excursions" on social media platforms like TikTok and Facebook yields various ads claiming to ensure safe passage across the U.S.-Canada border, which spans 5,525 miles. These posts appear in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, and Punjabi, and feature reviews from past clients.

A smuggler known as Javi, who claims to work with the Sinaloa Cartel on human and drug smuggling across the northern border, was contacted through an online advertisement, which TikTok has since removed. Although his claims lack independent verification, he provided images of firearms he claims prove his connections to the cartel.

A source within Canadian intelligence indicated that Javi's narrative aligns with known cartel operations. According to Javi, the cartel actively recruits customers and guides them to specific locations. "They have many people involved in finding and summoning customers," he stated in Spanish. Inside the Operation of a Mexican Cartel Smuggler: Javi works within a team of four, managing logistics and guiding migrants through wooded areas. Each migrant pays approximately $3,000, out of which Javi earns about $1,000, with $500 allocated to the cartel and the remainder to the drivers. Javi mentioned that those unable to pay may be held hostage.

Some smugglers even offer reduced rates for children. Javi recounted guiding families with infants as young as three months across the border. Will Trump's Border Policies Be Effective?: President Trump has implemented tariffs on Mexico and Canada, sometimes linking them to drug and migrant issues. In a November post on Truth Social, he contended, "Both Mexico and Canada have the right and capability to easily resolve this long-standing problem. We demand they exercise this power, and until they do, they'll face significant consequences!" In response, Canada's new Prime Minister Mark Carney levied his own tariffs but agreed to address Trump's concerns by unveiling a nearly billion-dollar initiative to enhance border security, which includes deploying more personnel, helicopters, drones, and appointing a new fentanyl czar. Professor Kelly Sundberg, a former officer in the Canadian Border Services Agency and current researcher at Mount Royal University in Calgary, stated that Canada lacks a border patrol equivalent to that of the U.S. and has significantly fewer immigration enforcement officers. "Clearly, to address President Trump's concerns—and those of many Canadians—we need to increase manpower," Sundberg asserted.

He suggested that Canada would require an additional 4,000 to 5,000 officers nationwide and believes tariffs are not the solution. "The border should be secured, but there are more effective methods than threatening your largest and longest-standing partner," he said. Estimating the exact volume of drugs crossing into the U.S. from Canada is challenging. While Trump claims vast amounts of fentanyl flow from Canada, U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized just 43 pounds at the northern border last year, compared to over 21,000 pounds at the southern border. Recently, both Canada and the U.S. designated the Sinaloa Cartel a terrorist organization. Javi shared that the cartel has since had to adapt its drug trafficking methods, but this designation has not impacted the volume of illegal migrants they smuggle into the U.S.
"There will always be demand for this service. Eventually, Trump's influence will fade, but the smuggling will persist," Javi declared. "This won't stop." Javi believes that additional border controls and checkpoints will not deter smugglers. "There's always a way. The Canada-U.S. border is much larger than the one with Mexico," he noted. "You can always find a way to get in."
Source @Cbsnews
Edited:Bosman