The morale of the Border Patrol along our southern border is “in the toilet,” says Jon Anfinsen of the agents’ union. Having endured over the past six months the highest level of illegal immigration seen this century, the Patrol’s 19,000 agents are weary, physically drained, showing up for work “downtrodden, almost dead inside. They’re not allowed to [do] the job, and they know that people are getting away every single day, every hour.”
On a recent day, there were only 12 agents–the only federal law enforcement officers present–on duty along a 245-mile stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border near Del Rio, Texas. That area, one of the most heavily used areas for illegal crossings of the entire border, had never seen so few agents available.
Fully half of the agents working have been pulled from patrol duty and assigned to indoor desk jobs processing the flood of migrants coming across. Most of those migrants being processed are family units who have had to flag down the few agents in the field to be arrested, knowing they will not be returned. Those illegal crossers who prefer not to be processed–because they are carrying contraband, for example–simply keep walking after crossing the border. There is no need to run, says Anfinsen, “because we’re not there.”
While the Patrol has been stretched thin by reassignment to office duty and by retirements and transfer to other agencies, those still in the field are now–unbelievably–being asked to volunteer to deploy to Afghanistan, to “process Afghan citizens seeking admission to the United States.” According to the Washington Examiner, agents are being asked to consider overseas assignments of up to 90 days.
Agents would process refugees seeking admission, as well as Afghans who are eligible for Special Immigrant Visas. In July, the Biden administration launched Operation Allies Refuge with the intention of resettling up to 30,000 people at Fort Bliss in Texas and Fort McCoy in Wisconsin.
Asked to comment on the reports of low morale, a CBP representative responded in bland tones of official-speak, saying, “Day in and day out, our Border Patrol agents continue to meet the need to protect our nation’s border as well as process migrants safely and expeditiously.”
For more, see the Washington Examiner.