U.S. Attorney expects law enforcement along northern border to intensify

FARGO (KVRR) – Federal prosecutors in North Dakota expect to file more immigration and border-related cases next year.

U.S. Attorney Nick Chase says because more federal resources are being dedicated to border-related issues, law enforcement operations are being stepped up.

Chase says smugglers and traffickers who believe it’s too risky to operate along the southern border have been looking for new ways to avoid detection along the border with Canada.

“I think that people who smuggle, whether smuggling people, smuggling drugs or smuggling anything else, I think they’re looking for weaknesses,” Chase said.

“If the perception is that the southern border has been sealed, yes, they’re going to try the northern border for sure.”

Chase, who prosecuted immigration cases for several years, says he typically filed about 85-100 cases annually.

He says during the first three months of 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s office prosecuted as many immigration cases as the entire previous year.