As the White House focuses on cracking down on illegal immigration on the southern border, an expert warns that the maritime industry along the northern border faces threats from bad actors and the risk of foreign influence.

Fox News Digital spoke with Jim Weakley, president of the Lake Carriers’ Association and retired U.S. Coast Guard officer, about national security risks along the Great Lakes and the Detroit Sector of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), which covers parts of Michigan and northern Ohio along the U.S.-Canada border.

“What people outside our region or outside of law enforcement often don’t understand is that border security—or any type of perimeter security—is a lot like a tube of toothpaste: if you apply pressure in one area, such as the southern border, the threat simply shifts to another part of the perimeter,” he said.

“So, as we—rightfully, in my view—reinforce our southern border, which has proven to be significantly lax, bad actors looking to smuggle terrorists, humans, fentanyl, or other contraband will likely redirect their efforts to our northern border.”

Single adults consistently dominated the encounters in the Detroit Sector, data showed. Single adults peaked in FY 2024, with 604 encounters.

The trend is continuing into FY 2025, with 338 encounters to date, suggesting it could surpass previous years if the trend continues.