
White House cites drop in people caught at Canada-U.S. border as tariffs continue
WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday there have been “successes” at the Canada-U.S. border — but offered no new hints about what might convince U.S. President Donald Trump to drop his tariffs on Canada.
“Thanks to President Trump, operational control of the border is becoming a reality and the administration’s historic measures are yielding huge results,” Leavitt told a press briefing Tuesday.
Leavitt said only 54 people were apprehended last month in the Swanton Sector of the northern border — which includes areas of New Hampshire, Vermont and New York — a 95 per cent drop since March 2024. She said the area is a “main hot spot” that recorded more than 80 per cent of all apprehensions along the northern border during the 2024 fiscal year.
Trump cited the flow of people and fentanyl across the border as the reason for threatening Canada with steep tariffs.