100 years of the U.S. Border Patrol

By U.S. Rep. Tom Cole
R-Oklahoma

On May 28, 1924, the Labor Appropriations Act passed through Congress, officially creating the United States Border Patrol. Since then, Border Patrol agents have been responsible for securing our borders and carrying out the mission of “protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity.”

This means that just last week was the 100th year anniversary of our Border Patrol. Yet, thanks to the Biden Administration, 100 years later, the need for border security is more important than ever.

Massive surges of illegal immigrants have consistently swarmed our southern border over the past four years. Hundreds of individuals whose names appear on the terrorist watchlist have tried to enter our nation undocumented. Traffickers, drug cartels, and dangerous criminals are taking advantage of the Administration’s open-border policies. Deadly fentanyl is being pushed into every community throughout the United States, driving an unprecedented opioid epidemic that is killing far too many Americans. An illegal immigrant that entered our nation unvetted violently murdered an innocent University of Georgia student, Laken Riley.

It is very clear – this is a crisis. We must secure our borders and give our brave Border Patrol agents the tools necessary to do so.

This is why, last March, I voted in favor of providing additional funds and tools to our United States Border Patrol. Specifically, this legislation funded the hiring of 22,000 Border Patrol agents, the highest level ever funded, provided increases to Border Patrol overtime pay, increased funding for new border security technology, funded a detention bed level of 41,500, which was 16,500 above what President Biden requested, provided funds for additional illegal alien removal operations, and more.

However, although this is a start, we cannot stop here. We must continue to support our Border Patrol agents and reverse the Biden Administration’s blatant neglect of the chaos at the southern border. So, as we celebrate 100 years of the very vital United States Border Patrol, I want to thank our hardworking Border Patrol agents who work every day to keep our nation safe, and I urge the Administration to finally give these agents the resources they need to bring this border crisis to an end.

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