Several rank-and-file Border Patrol agents have voiced criticism of the Senate funding bill unveiled on Sunday, asserting that the proposed legislation would perpetuate the ongoing illegal immigration crisis. The Emergency National Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2024, allocates funds to enhance the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), add detention beds to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facilities, expel specific illegal migrants, and improve fentanyl interdiction.
Border Patrol agents argue that the bill, if implemented, would sustain the practice of “catch and release” for illegal immigrants. This is due to provisions allowing the release of family units and single adults showing a credible fear of persecution upon returning home. Some agents expressed frustration, calling for collaboration between the Department of Defense and DHS to enforce immigration policies effectively.
Despite the criticism, the Border Patrol union endorsed the bill’s section providing funding for border security, deeming it imperfect but an improvement over the existing status quo. The legislation mandates tracking one member of each released family using Alternatives to Detention, which involves ankle monitors, phones, and wristwatches for monitoring while in the country.
Andrew “Art” Arthur, a resident fellow in law and policy for the Center for Immigration Studies, highlighted concerns that migrants could be released if they claim fear of returning to their home country without facing an immigration judge. Border Patrol has experienced a surge in illegal immigration in recent years, with over 2.2 million encounters recorded in fiscal year 2022.
Border Patrol agents expressed discontent with the bill, describing it as inadequate and expressing frustration with the release of families and single adults with credible fear claims. The proposed legislation also allocates funds for a “steel bollard pedestrian barrier” along the southern border but falls short of mandating the construction of a wall.
As of now, neither DHS nor the offices of the bill’s negotiators have responded to requests for comments. In contrast, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas praised the Senate deal, stating that it addresses challenges stemming from decades of Congressional inaction and provides resources to enhance the DHS workforce and technology for fentanyl prevention.
