Number of migrants stopped entering US from Canada drops to multi-year low

TORONTO – The number of migrants apprehended by the US Border Patrol after entering the United States from Canada dropped to the lowest point since 2022 in February, according to US Customs and Border Protection statistics published on March 13.

The number of those apprehended after crossing into Canada, however, appears to be ticking up.

The US Border Patrol apprehended 481 people near the Canada-US border in February, down from 616 in January and 3,601 in June 2024, which was a multi-year high.

A spokesperson for Customs and Border Protection did not immediately respond to a request for comment. An official had previously told Reuters that the agency changed the way it enforced a bilateral agreement under which both Canada and the US turn back would-be asylum seekers crossing in either direction, leading to a decline in crossings.

Canadian law enforcement agencies have little authority over people crossing southbound into the United States, but Canada has tried to crack down on visa issuances. It is under pressure to beef up its border since US President Donald Trump cited migrants and illicit fentanyl as justification for sweeping tariffs.

Canada announced a C$1.3 billion (S$1.2 billion) border plan and installed a fentanyl czar. Mr Trump has persisted with tariffs and repeatedly threatened to

forcibly annex Canada

.

The number of migrants caught illegally crossing the US southern border with Mexico in February was on pace to be at or near a record monthly low.

Meanwhile, the number of people the Canadian authorities apprehended crossing north from the US and turned back rose in February to 126 – the highest single month in one year, according to Canada Border Services Agency data obtained by Reuters.

The Canadian authorities had been bracing for a “worst-case scenario” of an influx of northbound migrants fleeing Mr Trump, who has threatened mass deportations from the US. REUTERS