Northern U.S. Border Patrol lacking, North Dakota sheriff testifies

A lack of Border Patrol presence at the Canadian border in North Dakota has led to problems for local officials. Four nonpartisan officials testified Wednesday morning during a field hearing in Grand Forks, N.D., held by the Republican-led House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement.

Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner testified about a case in his county. The initial complaint was that a group of illegal immigrants possessing a weapon had trespassed on a homeowner’s property, he said. After being confronted by the homeowner, the immigrants fled to a residence inhabited by more than 10 people. Jahner said he contacted Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigrations Customs Enforcement, or ICE, for help with translation or background checks. It wasn't until the following week, more than five days later, that ICE could assist his law enforcement efforts, he said.

Why is North Dakota concerned about their borders? The number of border encounters at the state’s northern border, defined as apprehensions or expulsions, rose from 548 in 2021 to more than 4,400 in 2023, according to testimony by North Dakota Attorney General Drew Wrigley. Border encounters include apprehensions of illegal attempts to cross the border, people deemed inadmissible by U.S. border security personnel, and expulsions, he said.

What arguments were made in the hearing? Local officials testifying at the field hearing said that newly restricted hours for civilian access to the border and a lack of border patrol deputies have led to difficulty in securing the border. They argued that the changes and emphasis on the southern border after the COVID-19 lockdown led to the neglect of the northern U.S. border. They said there are now limited resources for North Dakota counties to control their borders. Wrigley said the Justice Department’s Board of Immigration Appeals for North Dakota is understaffed, underfunded, and often is required to use their staff to virtually review immigrants at the southern U.S. border, distracting them from their station at the northern border.