The deal closing an illegal border crossing point about 105 kilometers (66 miles) east of Akwesasne took effect Saturday. President Joe Biden announced a plan last week to close a loophole to an immigration agreement that allowed thousands of asylum-seeking migrants to move between the two countries along a back road linking New York state to Quebec. Customs and Border Protection officials described what happened as a human smuggling incident. A seventh person, spotted leaving the vessel and wading ashore, was later identified as a U.S. Regis River, which runs through Akwesasne Mohawk Territory. In April 2022, six Indian nationals were rescued from a sinking boat in the St. “A couple of times in one month, you’ll see a couple of them walking down the road with all their bags,” he said. But Jackson said he had personally witnessed groups of migrants crossing through fields with bags in hand and also occasionally seen boats carrying large groups of people across the river. He said he had never heard Oakes talk about transporting migrants. He said he believed Oakes’s boat was less than six meters (20 feet) long.Ĭrossing the river on a little boat with many people on board, “that called for disaster,” he said. “The east wind around here creates a lot of waves, five feet tall, maybe taller,” Jackson said. Tony Jackson, an Akwesasne resident, said the weather Wednesday, when Oakes was last seen, was calm during the day but later turned rough. He said it’s mostly people going south to the U.S. It’s just that now there’s more attention.” “There’s always been people coming through here,” Dulude said. The body of an adult woman believed to be an Indian national was also recovered. All are believed to have been attempting illegal entry into the United States from Canada,” Dulude said.Ī child discovered Friday was a Canadian citizen and a member of the Romanian family, Dulude said. “A total of eight bodies have now been recovered from the waters. border.Īkwesasne Mohawk Police Chief Shawn Dulude said authorities were still looking for a man, identified as Casey Oakes, 30, who was last seen Wednesday operating a boat that was found next to the bodies.Ī police helicopter spotted the latest two bodies in the water. Lawrence River, which forms the Canada-U.S. The bodies of six people, described as members of two families of Romanian and Indian descent, were found Thursday in a marshy area of the St. AKWESASNE, Quebec (AP) - The bodies of two more migrants who died trying to cross from Canada into the United States, were found Friday, bringing the death toll to eight, including two children, police in the Mohawk Territory of Akwesasne said.
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