Northern border immigrant death highlights crossing spike

By WILSON RING
Associated Press

Officials say the death of a Mexican immigrant who had just entered the United States from Canada illegally is highlighting a spike in illegal crossings along the border between Quebec, Vermont and portions of upstate New York. Court documents say Border Patrol agents were called to an area just east of Derby Line, Vermont, late Sunday after three crossers were detected by surveillance cameras. When agents arrived they found a 45-year-old man from Aguascalientes, Mexico, who had collapsed and later died. While the numbers are still small compared with the southern border, the Border Patrol says the number of illegal border crossers in the area is up more than eight times over the same period last year.