(Fargo, ND) — Federal prosecutors in North Dakota are expecting to file more immigration and border-related cases in the coming year. U.S. Attorney Nick Chase says that’s because more federal resources are being used for border-related issues and law enforcement operations are being stepped up. He said “people who smuggle, whether smuggling people, smuggling drugs or smuggling anything else, I think they’re going to look for weaknesses,” adding “if the perception is that the southern border has been sealed, yes, they’re going to try the northern border.” Chase said he typically files about 85 to 100 cases annually, however, during the first three months of 2025, the U.S. attorney’s office prosecuted as many immigration cases as the entire previous year.
