Arrests by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents in Maine hit a 24-year high in April, according to the federal agency.
CBP said Maine Border Patrol agents arrested 113 people who were in the country illegally from 16 countries.
“This increase in apprehensions is not the result of more people illegally crossing the border in Maine, but instead from expanded United States Border Patrol enforcement throughout the state,” the agency said.
Because of the increase in arrests, the Border Patrol’s Houlton Sector coordinated with Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations to move 29 of the people who were apprehended to other parts of the country for further processing, the agency said.
Those people were flown out of Portland on Sunday, according to the agency.
CBP is additionally offering people who are in the country illegally $1,000 if they use the agency’s CBP Home app to declare that they will voluntarily leave the U.S. Some may qualify for travel assistance, document help, and de-prioritization for detention and removal while preparing to leave, according to the agency.