MASSENA -- Illegal border crossings rose over 550% in the Swanton Sector, which encompasses the entire north country, and state representatives want Governor Kathy Hochul to provide more resources to stem the tide.

North Border Crossings 

According to U.S. Border Patrol officials, Border Patrol agents apprehended 1,850 subjects from 43 different countries in October and November 2023 alone. Those figures surpassed the number of apprehensions in fiscal year 2021 and 2022 combined, officials say.

In total, migrants from 79 different countries were caught in the Swanton Sector in 2023, officials say.

Though the numbers are nowhere near those seen on the southern border, Senators Dan Stec, Joe Griffo and Mark Walcyzk submitted a letter to Hochul to request state resources to combat the rising numbers.

The three senators raised a number of concerns regarding the number of migrants entering the country illegally from Canada, saying policies need to be addressed.

“We are not insensitive to people fleeing oppression and seeking a better life elsewhere and recognize that federal immigration policies need to be addressed, strengthened and revised to ensure that those entering our country do so legally and properly,” the senators wrote. “However, we believe that it is imperative that New York take whatever actions are necessary to ensure that its residents, families and communities are protected and that its border is secure.”

The senators spoke to the issues agents are having on the northern border, which encompasses roughly 295 miles across New Hampshire, Vermont and New York, saying there were more migrants caught crossing in 2023 than there had been in the previous 10 years combined.

Border protection is largely a federal issue, however the senators requested assistance from state law enforcement in the letter.

"Reports such as this highlight the need for further action from your administration, and we ask that you examine and consider all options that may currently be available to address this issue. This can include additional funding for increased state and local law enforcement patrols along the border as has been done recently in New Hampshire and further collaboration with local, state and federal partners," they wrote.

St. Lawrence County Responds

In St. Lawrence County, legislators have continued to extend a state of emergency revolving around the migrant crisis. 

The extension now means the state of emergency will run until at least February 4, at which time county officials will once again assess the ongoing situation and decide whether to extend the state of emergency for an additional 30 days.

County officials have said in the past that the state of emergency was put in place to address concerns surrounding the ongoing migrant crisis in the state.

St. Lawrence County shares 75 miles with Canada, which some officials say poses a risk of migrants crossing to seek shelter in the state.

County officials say St. Lawrence County consistently ranks in the state’s top ten most impoverished counties in the state, saying the county is “ill-equipped” to meet the potential needs of migrants.

Massena Hotel Considered

Much of the attention on the border crisis revolves around the thousands of migrants apprehended every day on the southern border but with Texas Governor Greg Abbott bussing migrants into New York City every day, state officials are looking for solutions. To date, well over 110,000 migrants have been shipped to New York City, despite city and state officials saying there are nowhere near enough resources to care for them.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams has made numerous requests to Hochul in the last year, including permission to send migrants to upstate communities.

That move prompted over 20 counties to pass resolutions that would make it illegal for private business owners like hotel and motel owners to house the migrants in exchange for financial assistance from the state. In response, lawsuits have been filed to contest the county restrictions, many of which are still playing out in court.

One such instance arose in Massena, when Gary Melius, owner of the Quality Inn Hotel in downtown Massena, attempted to lobby state officials and New York City Mayor Eric Adams to house migrants at the struggling hotel.

There was only one catch. Melius was behind on his tax payments and owed over $385,000 to the county. Though that was averted, the back taxes were paid by the lien holder, according to St. Lawrence County Attorney Steve Button.

Local officials in Massena shot down the idea of housing migrants at the hotel, citing code regulations that would disallow the property from even being considered.

Massena Mayor Greg Paquin and Town Supervisor Sue Bellor both spoke to the situation, saying the state had "not done their research" and should go back to the drawing board.

“We would all be setup for failure. The migrants and village both would be set up for failure and I think the state knows that,” Paquin said.  

Bellor also spoke to the situation previously, saying the extensive needs of the migrants make it nearly impossible to care for them properly in Massena.

“While I understand that the migrants are in a challenging situation in the large cities, how will the situation be improved in a small village in a small town without any municipal transportation and with limited healthcare,” Bellor asked.

Massena Airport on DOH List

Just two weeks after that news broke, Massena was once again in the cross hairs of Adams and city officials.

Homeland Security Secretary Aljandro Mayorkas provided Adams with a list of 11 potential sites to house asylum seekers last August, a list that included Massena International Airport.

The inclusion of the airport drew the ire of local, state and federal representatives who called on the city to address the migrant crisis by other means.

Bellor previously told NCTW that town officials were completely in the dark when the news broke.

“We have not been communicated with in any way. We have yet to hear anything from state officials regarding the situation. It makes me wonder if they have done their due diligence and actually researched what the airport has to offer. There certainly are no living quarters or housing options there,” Bellor said.

The move by Adams to circumvent Hochul and appeal directly to federal officials came into direct conflict with Hochul's approach of trying to contain migrants in the five boroughs of New York City. 

“We cannot and will not force other parts of our state to shelter migrants,” Hochul said late last year.

It remains to be seen whether the governor will take direct action on the migrant crisis, however state officials say Hochul will cover the topic in her third star of the state address on Jan. 9.