Undocumented Encounters at Both U.S. Borders

According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the U.S.-Mexico border crossing is the most dangerous land migration route in the world, having claimed the lives of at least 686 people in 2022. According to the IOM, these deaths accounted for almost half of the 1,457 migrant deaths and disappearances recorded throughout the Americas that year, marking the deadliest year on record since IOM’s Missing Migrants Project started in 2014.

Less reported on, but still an important entry point to the United States, is the expansive northern border with Canada. According to data from U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a growing number of irregular encounters, i.e. apprehensions and expulsions of people seeking to enter the country without documentation, are being stopped to the north of the U.S. While the northern route is touted as a “safer” journey than that of the south, it can still prove fatal, with freezing temperatures, thick forests and rivers. At least a dozen migrants have died trying to make the crossing in the past two years, including families.

More than 2.2 million irregular encounters were documented along the two U.S. borders between October 2023 and August 2024. Far more people were encountered at the southwest border (2,033,260 encounters), compared to the northern crossing (181,814 encounters). However, according to CBP data, the northern border has seen a rise in the number of encounters, especially in the last couple of years. Meanwhile, the southwest border has seen a drop from a peak of 301,982 apprehensions in December 2024 to 107,503 encounters in August 2024. This has been linked to high summer temperatures, Mexico’s efforts to stop migration north and an asylum crackdown by the Biden administration which does not apply to the northern border.

Many of those making these journeys will have paid significant sums to traffickers. To the south, the top nine countries of origin for those encountered are from within the Americas and Caribbean, including Mexico, Venezuela, Guatemala, Cuba and Honduras. Colombia ranks in sixth position (122,395), followed by Ecuador (119,367), Haiti (84,593) and El Salvador (51,072). China is in tenth position (36,920).

To the north, the biggest group of nationals encountered between October 2023 and August 2024 were from India (39,278), followed by Canada (32,435), the Philippines (8,179) and Mexico (7,428). The next five highest, not shown on this chart, are Colombia (2,911), Ukraine (2,142), Brazil (1,954), Haiti (927) and Venezuela (896). Notably, several Latin American countries feature on this list too, as people seek to enter the U.S. via an alternate route. While Russia and Turkey are not in the top ten encounters from either north or southwest land border crossings, both still have high figures: In Russia 293 people were encountered coming from the north and 11,377 from the south, while for Turkey 409 encounters were to the north and 9,885 people to the southwest.

This data alone does not provide information on reasons for departure, but many of the countries listed are in states of economic turmoil, political unrest, repression or conflict. Of course, people move for aspirational reasons too or to be reunited with family members. In the case of Indian nationals, for example, a main reason reported by various media outlets is the hope for a better paying job.

The CBP does, however, provide broad data on the demographics of those who were encountered between October 2023 and August 2024, highlighting how families and children are among those attempting to make the crossings. To the southwest, 770,862 encounters were individuals in a family unit, 1,511 were accompanied minors and 103,478 were unaccompanied children/single minors. To the north, 39,902 of the encounters were with individuals in a family unit, 650 were unaccompanied minors and 346 were unaccompanied children/single minors. It is not known how many people made it into the U.S. at either border.

National Migration Week begins September 23 and ends with the World Day of Migrants and Refugees on September 29.