Records show two apprehensions in 2020, five in 2021, two in 2022, 22 in 2023 and 18 in 2024.

Civil liberties advocates said it’s important for the public to know how few crossings there are along New Hampshire’s border with Canada, while Republican lawmakers view illegal crossings as a matter of public safety.

“We are pleased to see that CBP will release this data transparently and regularly so that everyone knows the facts about the very rare unauthorized crossings taking place at New Hampshire’s northern border,” said Amanda Azad, CBP policy director. American Civil Liberties Union. New Hampshire.

The increase in arrests New Hampshire saw in 2023 echoes trends in illegal immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border, which reached a record high in 2023 and has since declined significantly, according to the Pew Research Center. The scale is very different at the country’s southern border, where there have been more than 2 million apprehensions in 2023, according to CBP data.

Along New Hampshire’s northern border, June 2023 was the month with the highest number of arrests, with nine arrests, according to CBP data.

In the last 49 months for which data was available, there were only three months where there were more than five arrests.

U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen praised the agency for providing the data to the public.

“I have long called for CBP to provide public transparency to Granite Staters regarding its border patrol data for New Hampshire so that we can better inform and equip law enforcement, and I am pleased to see the agency to finally do it,” she said in a statement.

Previously, data was only publicly available for the Swanton area, which includes New Hampshire, Vermont and part of New York. This area has seen a significant increase in illegal crossings, according to Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia.

“Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents have apprehended more than 19,222 subjects from 97 different countries since October 1, 2023, more than its last 17 fiscal years combined,” Garcia said. social networks.

Record activity in the Swanton area in 2023 prompted Republican Gov. Chris Sununu, with the support of state lawmakers, to launch a $1.4M Northern Border Alliance Task Forceallowing state and local police to patrol within 25 miles of New Hampshire’s northern border.

Critics of the program have said there is no evidence of the number of illegal border crossings in New Hampshire.

Among these critics was the ACLU of New Hampshire, which ultimately sued CBP in an effort to obtain New Hampshire-specific data. As part of a settlement, CBP released some New Hampshire data to the ACLU in September 2023.

Sununu’s office did not respond to a request for comment on the latest data, but in August 2024he said the lack of arrests was proof his border security initiative was working. The ACLU of New Hampshire argued that the low number of crossings meant the patrol program was unnecessary.

“We urge our state lawmakers to ensure a fair, balanced and humane approach to immigration policy – ​​one that puts aside widespread fear-mongering and instead focuses on things that actually help Granite Staters in their daily lives,” Azad said Thursday.

Republican Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte said she would adopt a Statewide ban on so-called sanctuary cities in New Hampshire, which could require local police to help federal immigration agents detain undocumented people.

“This is a matter of public safety,” Ayotte said in a statement, noting that she has heard directly from law enforcement and residents about their concerns about problems at the northern border.

“As governor, I will ensure that law enforcement along the border has the tools they need to stop illegal immigration and communicate effectively among federal, state and local partners,” she declared. “Protecting New Hampshire will always be my top priority.”

House Democrats are generally opposed to using local law enforcement resources to enforce federal immigration policy, according to House Minority Leader Alexis Simpson.

“Over the past two terms, the New Hampshire House has consistently rejected so-called “anti-sanctuary city bills” that undermine the work of local law enforcement to maintain important relationships with immigrant groups in their neighborhoods and communities,” she said.

Newly elected Senate Democratic leader Rebecca Perkins Kwoka said the federal government needs to approach the situation at the border from a security and humanitarian perspective.

“Here in New Hampshire, we must continue to work with and support local law enforcement as they keep our communities safe and foster relationships with immigrant communities, with the ultimate goal of creating orderly and efficient pathways to citizenship,” she said.

There are at least four discrepancies between data released by the ACLU of New Hampshire and data now publicly available on the CBP website, according to a Globe study.

In September 2023, CBP told the ACLU there were seven arrests that month, while public data indicates there were only two. And CBP told the ACLU that there was zero apprehension for the months of November 2024, January 2024 and May 2024, while public data indicates that there were six, seven and three arrests on these dates.

A spokesperson for Shaheen’s office said the senator would ask the agency to verify the accuracy of data provided to the public by CBP.

A CBP spokesperson was unable to answer a question about the discrepancy at the time of publication.

This article will be updated if CBP provides additional information on the accuracy of publicly available data.

Amanda Gokee can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow her @amanda_gokee.