Four agents, who requested anonymity due to fears of repercussions from their superiors, told the New York Post that they do not want to experience a repeat of the past four years, during which they were blamed for border security problems and felt unsupported.
“I’m not doing this sh*t again … four years of hell,” one agent told the outlet.
Border Patrol agents are ready to quit in DROVES if Kamala Harris wins:
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) October 15, 2024
"I'm not doing this sh*t again… four years of hell."
"Lots of guys who can retire will go. If Trump wins, they'll stay."
Choose wisely America. We need them.
“Lots of guys who can retire will go. If Trump wins, they’ll stay,” another agent said.
The warning followed the endorsement of former President Donald Trump by the Border Patrol union and the National Border Patrol Council on Monday.
Sources informed The Post that the Biden-Harris administration has led to significant turnover and low morale within the agency.
"WE HAVE TO LET THE PEOPLE KNOW THIS IS WHO WE ARE ENDORSING!" @ArtDelCuetoAZ talks to Special Report about border patrol agents supporting President Trump! @EmilyRoseFinn @michellebackus_ @thebeaudavidson pic.twitter.com/VQ1D56PBVs
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) October 14, 2024
The Washington Examiner reported that the agency has seen a loss of more than 4,000 personnel since October 2020, leaving approximately 19,000 employees.
In a bid to address this, the agency has offered recruitment incentives ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 and has appealed to retired agents to return, but these efforts have been largely ignored.
Both Trump and Harris have committed to increasing Border Patrol staffing as part of their campaign platforms.
🚨 President Trump Announces Plan to Hire 10,000 New Border Patrol Agents
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) October 13, 2024
"I will be asking Congress to immediately approve a 10% raise for all agents, and a $10,000 dollar retention and signing bonus." pic.twitter.com/ePibAx0y1t
Several agents told The Post that if Harris is elected, she could encounter a serious staffing crisis.
“We will have another exodus just because we will have a bunch of 20-year agents saying peace out,” one agent told the outlet.
The agent firmly stated that he would leave the agency if Harris becomes president, even though he is not near retirement.
“Under this administration, they’ve done everything they could to make our job as inefficient as possible. They can’t outwardly tell us not to do our job, but when you’re watching criminals come in and get released it sucks,” another agent said.
In response to the decline in morale within the agency, a suicidologist was hired for the first time in its history.
Suicide rates among Customs and Border Protection, which includes Border Patrol, have been rising, with 15 reported suicides in 2022. Former Yuma Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem has expressed growing frustration over the agency’s deteriorating morale.
“The morale has never been lower in Border Patrol. Under the Biden-Harris administration and her current advertisements portraying herself as pro-border security, it only exacerbates the already significant issues facing Border Patrol agents and law enforcement,” he stated. “Kamala Harris has negatively impacted morale for law enforcement across the country and for our border security personnel.”