Karyn Gattermann: Illegal border crossings in NH increasing at alarming rate

To The Daily Sun,

Karen Burnett-Kurie would have us believe that illegal border crossings in New Hampshire is not a burning issue and is hype per her Feb. 20 letter. However, statistics showed that in 2024 the number of apprehensions (doesn’t include got aways) in the Swanton sector, which includes the NH border, was 19,385, which was more than the prior 17 years combined, which was almost a three times increase over 2023, and an 18 times increase over 2022, and was more than 53 times the number for 2021. Very important to note that in 2023, the number was 6,925, which exceeded the prior 11 years combined, and was more than 6.5 times the number of apprehensions for 2022, which was 1,065. In 2021, the number was 365. Following the math, from 2021 forward the increases in illegal crossings is astronomical. Another interesting statistic is that in 2024, terrorism-related encounters at the northern borders accounted for 70% of all terrorism-related encounters. In 2023 it was 66%. It would appear that the terrorism threat from illegal crossings at the northern borders is even higher than the southern borders. Numbers were pulled from CBP website. Reporting resource: vermontdailychronicle.com/northern-border-sector-encounters-break-records-again-in-fiscal-2024.

Karyn Gattermann

New Hampton