Capital District Times

East Greenbush, N.Y. – Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, along with Representatives Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Mike Kelly (R-PA), and Ryan Zinke (R-MT), have jointly penned a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas addressing the recent surge in apprehensions of illegal immigrants at the Northern Border.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data, the lawmakers highlight a significant increase in apprehensions at the Northern Border. In the letter, they state, “In the first four months of FY 2024, through January 2024, the Border Patrol has already apprehended 4,772 subjects along the Northern Border, a 114% increase from the first four months of FY 2023. This 114% increase in apprehensions is unsustainable and symptomatic of your broader failure to secure the border.”

Furthermore, the legislators express concern about the rise in Terrorist Screening Data Set (TSDS) encounters at the Northern Border. They point out that in the first four months of FY 2024, there have been 103 encounters with individuals at ports of entry at the Northern Border, compared to just eight at Southwest Border ports of entry. This trend of increasing TSDS encounters is not new, with statistics from previous fiscal years showing a consistent pattern of higher encounters at the Northern Border compared to the Southwest Border.

The letter underscores the vulnerability of the Northern Border, which lacks natural barriers and spans the longest land border between two countries globally. The lawmakers emphasize the need for immediate action to address the escalating situation and prevent dangerous individuals from exploiting the relatively unguarded Northern Border.

The full text of the letter can be accessed on Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's official website.

Permalink: https://stefanik.house.gov/2024/3/stefanik-langworthy-kelly-and-zinke-lead-letter-to-mayorkas-on-spike-in-northern-border-apprehensions