Increase in Number of Apprehensions at the U.S.-Canada Border in the First Half of 2018

On August 6, 2017, CBS News reported that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended 445 individuals illegally crossing the U.S.-Canada border into the United States from Canada in the first six months of 2018. This marks a 142-percent increase from the same period in 2017 [link].¹

While the number of apprehensions at the U.S.-Canada border pales in comparison to the number of apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border, the increase is noteworthy, especially in light of the fact that Canada has faced its own increase in individuals illegally crossing the border from the United States. The article notes that the U.S.-Canada border is not only the longest land border in the world, but also the busiest, with approximately “400,000 people and more than 1.6 billion in goods legally cross[ing] the border every day.”

It remains to be seen what steps the CBP and/or the Canadian government will take to curb the small but growing number of illegal border crossings at the U.S.-Canada border. We will update the site with any news in this area as it becomes available.

____________________

1. CBS News. “Illegal U.S. northern border crossings up 142 percent from last year.” CBS News. Aug. 6, 2018. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/illegal-northern-border-crossings-on-the-rise/