the article is Washington Examiner The headline read: “Border Patrol [its] “Workforce has declined since the 2020 election.” While the headline and article seem technically correct, they give the impression that there are significantly fewer agents patrolling the border, which is not an accurate conclusion.
In Anna Galittelli’s article “The Biden Effect? Border Patrol Has Lost A Quarter Of Its Agents Since 2020 Election,” the author claims that over 4,000 federal agents have left the U.S. Border Patrol in the past three and a half fiscal years. Technically, this is true, according to U.S. Border Patrol sources who spoke to Breitbart Texas.
of Washington Examiner Report:
The Border Patrol 19,000 agentsBetween October 2020 and April 2024, exactly 4,281 federal law enforcement officers left the organization.
The total number of agents who left the Border Patrol includes those who resigned, were forced to retire due to age or length of service, or chose to retire as soon as they became eligible.
This article gives the reader the impression that there are far fewer Border Patrol agents than there were before President Biden took office. Border Patrol sources, who were not authorized to speak to the media, told Breitbart that the agency has increased hiring to make up for agents who have retired, resigned, been fired or left the agency for other reasons. Sources told Breitbart that just under 20,000 Border Patrol agents currently work for U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
“At this point, it’s not a question of the number of agents in the field,” a source told Breitbart, “it’s the experience level of those agents left behind through early retirement and other departures.”
The article discusses the morale issues that have led to higher than normal turnover rates among Border Patrol agents since October 2020. The article states:
“Morale in the administration is extremely low,” said a senior Border Patrol official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media. “We’re not being political. We’re just stating facts. It’s become too politicized. The capture-and-release approach is killing agent morale.”
Recently retired Border Patrol Deputy Commander Matthew Hudak said many patrol agents’ jobs involve Groundhog DayThe move would allow illegal immigrants to be arrested and released into the US rather than detained or deported — a move Hudak said would be humiliating for federal law enforcement officers sworn to protect the country.
A Breitbart source confirmed the morale issue. “Many more agents than usual are leaving the Border Patrol without taking the chance to get certified,” one source told Breitbart Texas. “Morale is definitely one of the reasons for the departures.”
Sources said agents are quitting at the first opportunity despite receiving low severance pay.
“Between 2014 and 2020, the number of early retirements averaged 257 per year.” Examiner “Since 2021, that figure has more than doubled, with an average of 529 agents choosing to leave at their first opportunity when they were eligible,” according to the report.
Agents blame the Biden administration for the high number of early retirements. Examiner situation:
Southern border rank-and-file and leadership Border Patrol agents Said of Washington Examiner There have been many times since 2021 when morale has dwindled, hit an all-time low, or disappeared altogether.
“Under Biden, it’s by far the worst it’s ever been,” one Arizona-based agent said in a previous interview. “Agents are constantly calling and being told all the time that our work doesn’t matter or that what’s the point? Agents are scared of being in the news for doing their job or getting in trouble for doing their job. There’s no morale.”
Breitbart sources back up these sentiments.
Matthew Hudak is Washington Examiner Agents have grown frustrated by the high numbers of migrants being apprehended and released along the southwest border and have also expressed concern about record-breaking numbers of migrants ending up on terrorist watch lists and other criminal databases.
“It’s frustrating for agents to have so many people encountered and ultimately released because we don’t have the resources to detain them,” Hudak told the news outlet. “We have far more people than we can practically house and we lack a strong deterrent message, policy or action.”
Breitbart Texas reached out to officials with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the parent organization of the U.S. Border Patrol, and while additional information was promised, it was not available before the start of the Memorial Day holiday weekend.
Randy Clark Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the U.S. Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as Chief of the Law Enforcement Operations Division, where he led operations for nine Border Patrol stations in the Del Rio Sector, Texas. Follow him on Twitter: @RandyClarkBBTX.
Bob Price Price is deputy editor and senior news contributor for Breitbart Texas Border Team. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a reporter for Fox 26 Houston. What is your argument? Sunday Morning He also serves as chairman of the talk show. Blue Wonder Cancer Care Products.
