A picture of migrants illegally crossing the northern border is spreading on social media

A picture of migrants illegally crossing the northern border is spreading on social media and raising new questions about how to address what officials say has been a spike in illegal border crossings in the Swanton Sector covering sections of Vermont, New Hampshire, and New York. In the Northeast Kingdom, neighbors have grown increasingly concerned at the number of crossings in their backyards. A picture of several men — one wearing a turban — walking south through the woods a half mile from the U.S.-Canadian border in Newport Center. The photo got hundreds of comments online, some speculating the men could be terrorists. Peter Henne, a professor of Middle Eastern studies at the University of Vermont says,  many religions wear turbans and the conflict in the Middle East is driving human migration. Neighbors say border patrol tells them that men from India have been frequently crossing the border. A sign marks the United States border where migrants will cross in illegally. They’ll then cross over down Leadville Road where they’ll start their journey south. The number of apprehensions at the border has spiked in recent years. In 2022, Border Patrol detained just over 1,000 people. A year later it climbed to over 6,900 people. And last year officials say it was more then  19,000 people coming from 97 different countries.