There Are Exactly Two Things Border Patrol Agents Should Be Doing Right Now
On Sunday, the New York Times published a story detailing all of the ways that the Trump administration’s all-out war on migrants and undocumented people is affecting the real victims: Border Patrol agents themselves. Apparently, throwing people into cages for the crime of being in the United States isn’t so great for morale.
From the story:
The Border Patrol, whose agents have gone from having one of the most obscure jobs in law enforcement to one of the most hated, is suffering a crisis in both mission and morale. Earlier this year, the disclosure of a private Facebook group where agents posted sexist and callous references to migrants and the politicians who support them reinforced the perception that agents often view the vulnerable people in their care with frustration and contempt.
Interviews with 25 current and former agents in Texas, California and Arizona — some conducted on the condition of anonymity so the agents could speak more candidly — paint a portrait of an agency in a political and operational quagmire. Overwhelmed through the spring and early summer by desperate migrants, many agents have grown defensive, insular and bitter.
[…]
“To have gone from where people didn’t know much about us to where people actively hate us, it’s difficult,” said Chris Harris, who was an agent for 21 years and a Border Patrol union official until he retired in June 2018. “There’s no doubt morale has been poor in the past, and it’s abysmal now. I know a lot of guys just want to leave.”
Luckily, there are two things that Border Patrol agents can do right away that could help boost morale almost immediately.
1. Quit