Border Patrol Union: Obama Administration Trying to “Demoralize Agents” and “Dismantle Immigration Enforcement.”



Logo_of_the_United_States_Border_Patrol.svgBorder Patrol agents on the United States’ southern border are growing tired of the endless games being played by the federal government in Washington. On March 16, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that members of the National Border Patrol Council (NBPC) are lashing out at the Obama administration for issuing a report claiming the agency needs to increase its focus on internal departmental investigations instead of addressing atrocious border security problems. The union described the brutal 58-page review of the agency as an attempt to “demoralize Border Patrol agents” and “dismantle immigration enforcement.”

The report claims the agency has a “broken disciplinary process“ and concluded that the agency should increase its Internal Affairs investigative taskforce by about 300, despite the Department of Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) only being appropriated the funds to hire 30 additional investigators. To compensate for this, the report suggested that in addition to securing additional funding for new hires, current agents should be reassigned to this department, further limiting available manpower to combat the increasing violence on the southern border.

The ultimate stated goal is to help agents become more accountable and focus on reducing “unlawful and unconstitutional use of force” when apprehending illegal migrants. Little justification is left open for situations that require force during apprehensions, such as combating drug cartels or apprehending violent criminal illegal aliens.

Shawn Moran, vice president and national spokesman for the NBPC, blasted the report, suggesting it was just a move by the Obama administration to deflect attention from its failure to secure the border and enforce immigration laws.

“This is just a cheap shot to silence critics within the agency, specifically within the union,” he said. “It makes it easier for [the administration]to dismantle immigration enforcement if they don’t have critics within the agency speaking against what’s going on.”

He also claimed that the administration is becoming mired in political agendas.

“We believe at this point the Border Patrol is at a crossroads, and we’re either going to have an effective border policy or the Border Patrol is going to be turned into a political arm of the administration,” he said. “We seem to have no one in Washington to stand up and say this isn’t right.”

Moran criticized the idea of massive hirings and re-assignments for internal investigative units, noting that the agency is already behind on vetting new agents who are needed for more important tasks like protecting the border.

“Agents were put in the field for a year and a half before ever having a background check completed. That was something that we were against since the very beginning. […] It [the hiring process]became so bad that it was referred to as ‘no trainee left behind.’ You were almost unable to fail the academy.”

Border Patrol agents are telling the Obama administration what they need to secure the southern border, but it’s clear these requests are falling on deaf ears. With the effort, time and funds it took to issue a report like this, which represents an assault on government servants who are attempting to enforce our laws, the Obama administration should redirect its attention toward stemming the tide of violence and illegal immigration flowing into the United States. However, as long as the federal government ignores the deteriorating situation on the southern border, the lives and property of Americans will continue to be at risk.

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18 Comments

  1. avatar
    Stinky Cheese Man on

    Shameless continual hispandering is all the Democrats can do. Whatever Grijalva and Gutierrez want, Obama gives them. He kisses their butts daily to continue the Hispanic Democrat vote.

  2. avatar

    Unfortunately there’s more to this report than just a waste of funds that could be better used to hire more agents. The problem of corruption on the border might be greater than the union acknowledges – and what”s being asked for here are more facilities for investigating and possibly dealing with it.

    Suppose a ‘drug mule’ (or a terrorist) is apprehended by a border patrol agent who’s willing to ‘look the other way’ in return for a few hundred dollar bills? Who knows how often this happens and are there practical ways it could it be prevented?

    The President claims that congress consistently refuses to allocate sufficient funds to improve border security – including what would be required to track immigrants who simply ignore visa requirements and just disappear in the crowd.

    If Obama’s right the immigration problem ought to be more of a factor in both the presidential and congressional elections.

    • avatar

      He “claims” the border is secure. It’s not. He’s also the one issuing executive orders not to deport anyone who hasn’t committed a serious crime and that includes those who overstayed a visa. Not sure where you’re getting your info but it’s false.

    • avatar

      If You Argue With Open Border Pundits

      Even federal workers can be harassed on the job given impossible job duties with a phony poor job performance. The slime liars rise to the top when the economy is broke.

      • avatar

        SWE simple math and reality……..the border is more secure than before…..or you will tell me that 15 years ago there was a bigger border security…….

  3. avatar

    That despicable POS in the White House, along with his flaming incompetent heading DH(IN)S, are two individuals that should be behind bars for their blatant failure to enforce the rule of law and secure this nation, period!

  4. avatar

    Get ready for more of the same if Hillary is elected. Policy will be set by La Raza, Black Lives Matter, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations. It already is in this administration. Cecilia Munoz, a former high official at La Raza, is Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council.

    I saw a report a few days ago that applications to many police depts. are down significantly. Not surprising, because something happens and all the media shows is the last 10 seconds of a video where a cop has to take action. We all saw that video of M. Brown robbing a store and pushing around a clerk half his size, but we’re supposed to believe that a cop just decided to shoot him 5 minutes later.

    That didn’t stop this president from sending “representatives” to Brown’s funeral. Meanwhile a good cop is out of a job even though he was completely cleared when all the forensic evidence was examined. See what kind of cops you get now.

    The Democratic party seems to be in a rush to pander to the lowest common denominator. Which means long time members of the party like me now don’t even recognize what they’ve become. There is no way I will vote for her for President.

  5. avatar

    One thing for sure it is true …..unconstitutional use or force is correct….

    I have been told from Canadian s N our own how the border patrol are abusing their power….

      • avatar

        So what…..you know it is me so I made a comment but since you disgree…..

        Leland are you a fake or a real American…..I personally do not approve the way these Canadians or our own are being treated…you should move to the middle East where your mentality fits…..like a shoe.