A recent inspector general’s report reveals that the Border Patrol has been hiding the true extent of chaos at the southern border by increasing staff and busing out migrants during high-profile visits, according to The Washington Times.
The report describes the situation as unsustainable, with agents being overwhelmed and overworked, and law enforcement resources stretched to breaking point.
One agent stated that every time a visit took place, they would “make this place look fit and proper.”
However, after the visit, the agent said they would “go right back to overfilled pods and lack of staff and equipment to handle the situation.”
As a result, visitors, including members of Congress, were not shown the reality of the border conditions.
The report coincides with the Department of Homeland Security preparing for a surge in migrants as the Title 42 policy is set to expire on May 11th.
Almost 90% of law enforcement employees surveyed by Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agencies reported that they do not have enough staff to handle another migrant surge.
Low morale has led to a wave of retirements and resignations, further exacerbating the staffing crisis.
Agent suicides are also on the rise, according to the inspector general, who cited congressional testimony from agents’ labor union, The Times notes.
The report states that CBP and ICE workloads have grown significantly due to factors beyond their control, yet staffing levels remain unchanged, resulting in agents being unable to fulfill their duties of deterring and apprehending individuals who have made an illegal entry into the United States.
ICE has seen a significant drop in arrests and deportations, with 92,108 arrests of migrants with criminal convictions in 2019 compared to just 18,173 criminal arrests in the first seven months of 2022, according to The Times.
Deportations have also fallen from 267,258 in 2019 to 35,260 in the first seven months of 2022.
