| Nearly 85 years ago, the US Border Patrol, as | | | | the jurisdiction of the DHS, broadening the scope |
| most of us know it, was founded as an agency | | | | of apprehending persons and drugs illegally |
| under the Department of Labor. Agents were | | | | entering the country to people and weapons of |
| placed primarily along the southwestern border of | | | | terroristic threat. |
| the United States to act as a deterrent against | | | | The explosion of illegal immigrants from Mexico in |
| smuggling -- both drugs and people. | | | | the 80s and 90s revealed the ineffectiveness of |
| As early as 1904, the Federal government | | | | several deterrent actions practiced by the CBP. |
| instituted the use of mounted guards or mounted | | | | Employer sanctions auditing worker status was |
| inspectors along the southern borders in an | | | | unsatisfactory in controlling the influx of illegal |
| attempt to control illegal entry into the United | | | | aliens and in the 1990s the agency turned to |
| States. The need to secure the borders of the | | | | forward deployment of agents, placing them at |
| United States became amplified as historical | | | | the borders for apprehension of illegal aliens and |
| events unfolded - Mexico's civil war, World War I, | | | | drug smuggling. |
| the enactment of strict immigration laws - bringing | | | | Recent years have seen starting pay scales |
| combined pressure on national security concerns. | | | | bumped up, the implementation of specialized |
| Preserving national security along the United | | | | response units, and strong apprehension targets. |
| States borders has expanded and contracted | | | | In 2005, CBP identified the following five main |
| over the years, pulling agents from the | | | | objectives: |
| central-southern borders between Texas, New | | | | 1. Apprehension of terrorists and terrorist |
| Mexico, Arizona, and California to the shores of | | | | weapons |
| Florida in the 60s, as the concern over Castro's | | | | 2. Improve enforcement of illegal entry into the |
| Cuban aggression peaked. | | | | United States |
| The US Border Patrol served under the | | | | 3. Apprehend, through superior detection, |
| Department of Labor and later, the Department | | | | smugglers of drugs or people |
| of Justice, as part of the Immigration & | | | | 4. Utilize technological advances to support border |
| Naturalization Service (INS). In 2003, the INS was | | | | patrol actions |
| disbanded and the US Border Patrol moved under | | | | 5. Reduce crime rates in border towns |
| the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), | | | | Today, in the face of burgeoning human and drug |
| becoming the US Customs and Border Protection | | | | trafficking, the Border Patrol sets its sights on |
| (CBP) agency. | | | | Federal monies earmarked for the recruitment of |
| The tragic terroristic events of 9-11 were | | | | 6,000 new agents, an action which would take the |
| instrumental in bringing the US Border Patrol under | | | | Border Patrol force from 12,000 to 18,000 agents. |