The number of people apprehended for illegally crossing from
Canada into the
United States along its northern border has nearly tripled over the past three years, and a growing portion are Mexican citizens, according to federal data.
One Mexican man who crossed illegally to work on a Vermont dairy farm said it was easier than trying the southern border.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics obtained by The Associated Press after a public records request provide new detail on what was apparent anecdotally: Along the border from Maine to
Washington, 446 of the 1,586 illegal crossers apprehended in the 2019 fiscal year were Mexican, or 28%.