US northern border illegal crossings rise; many are Mexicans

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%. That's up from 20 of 558, or just 3.6%, in 2016.

The numbers also increased for Romanians many identified as ethnic Roma and other nationalities, such as Haitians and Indians. Those tallies don't include apprehensions for reasons other than illegal crossings, such as overstaying visas.