By Brendan Scanland
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Measuring at over 5,500 miles, the United States–Canada border is the longest international border in the world.
In recent years, it’s become a popular choice for undocumented immigrants to enter the U.S. illegally. But new data is beginning to tell a different story. Illegal land crossings have seen a significant drop in the last six months.
“While it’s dropped dramatically, it’s still a place that we have to be very concerned with and we can’t take our eye off the ball there,” said Congressman Mike Kelly (R- Pa.), co-chair of the Northern Border Security Caucus.
In March 2023, Kelly testified in front of the House Homeland Security Committee about the urgent need to address the long, rugged border.
“Since President Biden has taken office, there has been an almost 15-times increase in northern land border encounters. There were only 997 northern land border encounters in January 2021. But that number has increased each month since. In the month of October 2022, there were 15,938 northern land border encounters,” said Kelly in the hearing two years ago.
Fast forward to March 2025, fewer than 4,500 land encounters were recorded between ports of entry.
“Because we’ve got agents doing agent work, which is law enforcement, not sitting inside of processing facilities,” said U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks.
Banks said the shift can also be attributed to more border patrols and information sharing from Canada, which has recently seen pressure from the Trump administration to step up.
“We’ve seen a larger approach by Canadian Border Security Authority and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police along our northern border than we’ve seen in my history in the Border Patrol,” said Chief Banks.
Whether the early progress at the northern border can be sustained remains to be seen.
“We desperately need Congress to get together and pass this funding bill so that, one, we can get the equipment, the resources we need, the technology, the infrastructure we need in place, and also to hire more agents,” said Banks.
The clock is ticking for lawmakers to mark up and pass the multi-trillion-dollar budget, known as President Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” It would provide stable funding for Border Patrol, which has been relying on the Pentagon and other federal agencies for financial support in recent months.
“We cannot depend on the Department of Defense and all these other agencies to carry us for the next four years. We’ve got to get funded so that we can get what we need to get out there to continue securing the border,” said Banks.
“We do need the funding on it. And so that’s going to be critical of us getting our legislative purpose done, getting the funding to Border Patrol so that they can effectively and efficiently protect the people that live up in that area,” said Rep. Kelly.
“That’s the number one priority right now — both southern and northern border,” said Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Mich.). “Without border security — hence the word secure — we don’t know who’s trying to enter our country illegally. It’s one thing to try to get here legally. With the full funding, as we work through all of the funding process here, through reconciliation, to get the money to the right agencies to ensure that the Border Patrol and all those folks are in full complement, being paid,” Bergman added.
As Border Patrol Chief, Banks said there is no border that is more important than another. All U.S. borders — land, sea, and lake — are critical to Border Patrol’s mission.
“If we turn a blind eye to any particular part of the border, we know that that will be the next vulnerable threat,” said Chief Banks.
