For the first time ever, the southern border saw over 2 million encounters involving illegal immigrants in one fiscal year. But while politicians and the media obsess over the Martha’s Vineyard airlift and other migrant movements, Border Patrol agents are left to carry out a near impossible task. Both political parties should be concerned with this truth.
The U.S. border with Mexico is just shy of 2,000 miles long. According to the Border Patrol, there are around 19,000 agents on staff. This may seem a formidable figure. Digging into the numbers, however, we reveal a major manpower shortage. Consider that these agents work shifts. The border needs 24-hour surveillance and manning, which further divides the workforce. After accounting for three shifts, the total available agents per shift falls to around 5,500 agents who must cover 2,000 miles. Note that other agents are stationed elsewhere, such as along the Canadian border.
