By Guy Page
Border encounters in the Swanton Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol dropped to 354 in January, the lowest number since October, 2023, during the early days of the unprecedented northern border surge, according to Department of Border Patrol (DPB) data.
The Swanton Sector covers Vermont, three New Hampshire counties, and the eastern half of the New York border.
The January total number of Swanton Sector encounters was 585 in 2024, 367 in 2023, and 24 in 2022 – just months before the unprecedented Northern Border surge began in mid-2022.
The data also shows a steady decline since October (1,025), with 483 in November, and 348 in December, for a 2025 fiscal year-to-date total of 2,210.
The demographic breakdown of the 2,210 is: Single males 1,715, individuals in a family unit 369, and unaccompanied minors 26. The breakdown of October-January border encounters by nation of origin includes:
- India 1,282
- Mexico 186
- Guatemala 46
- Venezuela 44
- Romania 43
- Haiti 32
- Colombia 26
- 13 nations under 24
- Other 450
Federal authorities October – January also seized 245 pounds of marijuana, $1,700, and two firearms in the Swanton Sector.
The Swanton Sector decrease reflects a national trend that has been happening since early November, when Donald Trump was elected. On February 19, the House Committee on Homeland Security released a “Border Brief” factsheet detailing the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) data for January 2025, which includes 11 days of President Donald Trump’s administration.
Last month, there were 81,792 encounters at our borders nationwide, including 61,465 at the Southwest border. Nationwide border encounters decreased 66% compared to January 2024 (242,530) and 34% compared to December 2024 (124,734), the fact sheet states.
