Border Patrol to hire 710 agents

U.S. Customs and Border Protection has begun a “pro-active recruiting campaign” to find and hire 710 new Border Patrol agents by the end of fiscal 2006 — most of whom will be assigned along the Mexican border.

Border Patrol spokesman Mario Villarreal said agency recruiters will “fan out across the country” to maximize what he described as Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) ability to reach potential applicants. In addition to national recruiting efforts, he said the recruiters will participate in local recruiting events.

Funding for the new agents comes partly from the Department of Homeland Security’s $41.1 billion budget for fiscal 2006 and from the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act, which set aside additional funds for defense, the global war on terror and tsunami relief.

Mr. Villarreal said the hiring of the new agents comes in addition to the standard attrition hires that supplement the several hundred agents who retire, transfer or leave for other reasons.

Nearly 11,000 Border Patrol agents protect the more than 6,000 miles of International Boundary between the official ports of entry with Mexico and Canada, as well as mainland coastal waters and Puerto Rico. Border Patrol agents arrested 1.15 million illegal aliens last year and seized more than 684 tons of illegal narcotics with an estimated value of more than $10.7 billion.

Mr. Villarreal said CBP’s intensified recruitment and hiring efforts will include visiting military bases and colleges throughout the country; increased advertising efforts through an expanded public awareness campaign; and expedited hiring process by establishing “compressed testing” sites at high-volume locations along the southwest border.

He said the effort also will feature a modified hiring process to include a prequalification interview and fitness testing.

In March, the Senate voted to authorize funds for 2,000 new Border Patrol agents in next year’s fiscal budget as called for in the intelligence overhaul bill, going against President Bush’s 2006 budget request for 210 agents. The amendment to the budget passed by unanimous consent and indicated a willingness to challenge Mr. Bush on immigration security.

The House has not yet followed suit, but both the House and Senate are working on a compromise spending bill that will decide how many Border Patrol agents are actually authorized in fiscal 2006.

The intelligence overhaul bill sought an additional 10,000 Border Patrol agents over five years. It also called for 8,000 new detention beds and 800 interior investigators. Mr. Bush included funding for 1,920 beds and 143 investigators.

Mr. Villarreal said the Border Patrol’s primary mission is to detect and prevent the illegal entry of aliens, including terrorists and their weapons of mass destruction. Together with other law enforcement officers, he said the agency helps maintain borders that work — facilitating the flow of legal immigration and goods while preventing the illegal trafficking of people and contraband.