Border Security
Beefing up Border Patrol is a bipartisan goal, but the agency has a troubled history of violence and impunity
Created by the Labor Appropriations Act of 1924, the Border Patrol's full mission under the law was to “safeguard our borders” and “enhance the nation’s economic prosperity.”
Trump promises pay raises and bonuses to spark a DHS hiring spree
Border Patrol has struggled to hire for a decade, however, and is already offering bonuses larger than Trump is proposing.
Harris touts plan to bring on more border agents, but hiring is already lagging
The vice president is visiting the border to discuss ideas for the workforce that may be difficult to implement in practice.
LGBTQ+ asylum seekers detail harsh conditions and abuse in ICE custody
A new study found that the majority of LGBTQ+ detainees interviewed experienced harassment while being detained.
Congress aims to boost enforcement at the border – with Canada
New Senate legislation aims to hire more U.S. Border Patrol agents to help monitor understaffed areas on the Canadian border.
TSA hasn’t assessed whether deploying air marshals to the border negatively impacts air security, IG says
The agency has been providing air marshals to assist at the border since 2019.
DHS says surge of employees to the front lines is working to ramp up border enforcement
President Biden's new policies to turn away most migrants is causing border crossings to decline significantly, administration says.
CBP disposes of and loses migrants’ personal belongings due to unclear policy, watchdog says
The GAO recommended that Border Patrol clarify the amount of personal property from individuals in its custody that should be stored and what items may or may not be discarded.
Executive order limiting asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border signed by Biden
The White House order would cap asylum requests at the southern border at 2,500 daily crossings.
The future of Border Patrol: AI is always watching
Human rights advocates warn of algorithmic bias, legal violations, and other dire consequences of relying on AI to monitor the border.
Tech questions at the border
Critics say the Customs and Border Protection app CBP One is glitchy and unfair to migrants.
Lawmakers debate the role of an overworked and under-resourced FEMA
Despite some hiring success, FEMA is taking on more tasks while operating at 65% capacity.
Biden uses State of the Union to paint Republicans as barriers
The president scolded former President Trump and House GOP lawmakers for scuttling a bipartisan plan to boost border agency staffing, and frequently touted governmental investments enacted without Republican support.
DHS to slash operations, reshuffle workforce without additional funds, agency warns
The department becomes the latest in the Biden administration to sound the alarm over the impact of budget shortfalls.
Senate rejects border-related federal hiring surge after Republicans turn on deal
The $118 billion personnel, border security, immigration reform and foreign aid measure collapsed just days after it came together.
Updated
Hiring and pay reforms accompany staffing surges in bipartisan border deal
After months of negotiations, Senate group unveils measure to ramp up border security, provide foreign aid and largely meet President Biden's request for thousands of new federal employees.
House panel approves DHS secretary’s impeachment as Senate nears deal to surge his staffing
Republicans get one step close to taking the second-ever such vote.
House GOP is obstructing progress at the border by blocking staffing surge, White House says
Republicans move forward with DHS secretary impeachment proceedings as the administration engages in border negotiations.
DHS warns it’s running low on funds and borrowing personnel to manage border
As the number of migrants arriving at the border climbs, federal personnel are becoming overwhelmed.
With congressional deal elusive, Biden administration ramps up border closures
DHS will reassign officers to assist Border Patrol in taking migrants into custody.
