Number of migrants stopped entering U.S. from Canada drops to multi-year low

Canadian and American flags fly near the Ambassador Bridge at the Canada-U.S. border crossing in Windsor, Ont. on March 21, 2020. (Rob Gurdebeke / THE CANADIAN PRESS)

TORONTO — The number of migrants apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol after entering the United States from Canada dropped to the lowest point since 2022 last month, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection statistics published on Thursday.

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

The U.S. Border Patrol apprehended 481 people near the Canada-U.S. border in February, down from 616 in January and 3,601 in June, 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 the agency changed the way it enforced a bilateral agreement under which both Canada and the U.S. 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 U.S. President Donald Trump cited migrants and illicit fentanyl as justification for sweeping tariffs.

Canada announced a C$1.3-billion border plan and installed a fentanyl czar. Trump has persisted with tariffs and repeatedly threatened to forcibly annex Canada.

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

Meanwhile, the number of people Canadian authorities apprehended crossing north from the United States 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.

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

(Reporting by Anna Mehler Paperny; Editing by Rod Nickel)