US Border Patrol agents have seen a spike in illegal border crossing attempts from Manitoba.
David Marcus, border patrol officer in Grand Forks, North Dakota, said there were 100 illegal border crossing attempts in the first six months of the fiscal year. This time last year he had only 22 crossing attempts.
“The biggest thing we’re seeing is people are desperate to come to the United States,” Marcus said.
Marcus said he had never seen so many border crossing attempts in his five years in the Grand Forks sector.
These figures do not include the recently reported crossing attempt that occurred early Tuesday morning.
Nine people tried to enter the United States illegally from Manitoba near Sprague, Manitoba. They called 911 and had to be rescued after suffering from hypothermia and ending up in a flooded swamp.
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In the aftermath of an attempted border crossing earlier this week, Manitoba’s Minister of Justice Kelvin Geltzen said there are ongoing discussions with the federal government about border security.
He said those attempting to cross the border could face serious harm.
“At this stage of the year, we are still not out of the winter cold, so there is a risk, as we saw last year,” Herzen said.
In late January 2022, a family of four was found frozen to death as they tried to cross the Canadian-US border in harsh winter temperatures.
Jagdish Baldevbhai Patel and Vaishariben Jagdishkumar Patel of the Patel family, along with their two children Vihangi Jagdishkumar Patel, 11, and Darmik Jagdishkumar Patel, 4, have been together for several weeks. I had arrived in Canada before.
The RCMP believes the two were dropped off near the border in Emerson and separated while trying to cross on foot with a large group of people.
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Days later, a federal grand jury indicted 47-year-old Steve Anthony Shand on two smuggling charges related to the case. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Marcus said it was a tragic situation that border guards never wanted to see again.
“Our message is don’t take risks,” he said. “It’s not worth risking your life or your family’s life.”
He said the climate, which drops to unbearably cold temperatures during the winter months, and the vast terrain pose major challenges. I warned people they shouldn’t.
“They can’t and frankly they don’t care about your safety anyway. All they care about is money,” he said.
Marcus said anyone caught trying to cross the border illegally will be taken back to their country of origin.
