Time with Border Patrol

After delving into the theology of immigration, we drove to meet with Border Patrol. Two agents and a Community Engagement Liaison met with us to give us insight into their roles, into immigration from their perspectives.

[A reminder: there are three major immigration agencies in the US - Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). Border Patrol falls under CBP, and it exclusively monitors between ports of entry to the US and is not responsible for Detention Centers, etc.]

The experience was deeply humanizing: we heard about the agents' families and of their histories, of the challenges faced that only they could know. We asked them what message they most wanted shared to the American people, and they asked that we communicate this: that they care. That they want to help, that they want to keep the US safe.

When we asked what solution would best serve them, they immediately responded, “More agents." The NYC Police Department has 35,000 officers; in comparison, the entire Border Patrol of the US has 18,000 officers. They feel understaffed, not provided the resources they need to do their job well. We asked them if their training has changed in light of the changes at the border, and they replied that it hasn’t. They said that they wouldn’t mind a wall, but that more officers is what they wanted most. 

The female officer is also an ENT, and her job involves ensuring the migrants stay alive. She shared a touching story of buying chocolate milk with her own money for a child who refused to drink anything else but desperately needed nutrients. She expressed how difficult it is when migrant caravans arrive at the border with dozens of families, how this does allow for vulnerabilities as coyotes (human smugglers) will sometimes use these caravans as decoys and distractions. She shared how exhausted and traumatized the families are by the time they arrive: often sick and fatigued, Border Patrol sends dozens to the hospital immediately. She shared how common it is for Border Patrol agents to get sick too, so run down from the grueling nature of their work. 

We asked them about the secret Border Patrol Facebook group with racist and xenophobic content, and the Community Liaison defended them, shared that the officers “joke to cope,” that they didn’t mean what they said - a disappointing response, of course. As if it’s not out of the heart that the mouth speaks, as if we can separate our words from our thoughts and beliefs.

In summary, the time was both encouraging and discouraging, beautiful and angering. Mainly, it felt human. We are complex people with complex belief systems, complex stories. There are good and noble officers; there are places we can equip them better; there are places we can guard against abuse. The conversation made me want to pray for brave and courageous leaders among our immigration agencies who can encourage and challenge and equip their people well.