A Border Patrol agent in northern Vermont was fatally shot in the neck by what is reported to be an illegal immigrant, just after President Donald Trump was being sworn in hundreds of miles away in Washington on a promise to deem the border crisis a "national emergency" on his first day in office.
NewsNation's Ali Bradley reported Monday that the border agent was shot while conducting a traffic stop. The shooter, whom Bradley referred to as a "visa overstay," was also reportedly killed.
Newsweek reached out to Customs and Border Patrol via email for more information but did not immediately receive a response.
The shooting comes as much of the nation was watching Trump's presidential inauguration in Washington D.C.
During his inaugural address, Trump promised to first and foremost tackle illegal immigration. He said he would declare a national emergency at the southern border on Monday, immediately halting all illegal immigration into the U.S. and starting the return process for millions of migrants to be sent back to their countries of origin. Crossings along the southern border have fallen dramatically in recent weeks, according to CBP data.
Vermont public safety officials have issued a news release announcing that Interstate 91 at mile marker 168 is closed due to "an evolving police incident." That location is near Newport, north of Burlington, near the Canadian border. Vermont officials have not released additional information on the incident.
Bradley said Monday that Border Patrol was anticipating some of the migrants in the Vermont area to escape to Canada as Trump's crackdown on immigration began this week. She also reported that the agent who was killed Monday was recently transferred from Texas to Vermont.
