“Morale is in the toilet,” said Jon Anfinsen, a spokesman for the Border Patrol’s union. “Morale is low because agents aren’t allowed to do their job — if our job is to be out patrolling the border in between the ports of entry and actively searching for people who have crossed illegally, but we’re not allowed to go do that job, it basically creates this defeated feeling in everyone.” Washington Examiner reported.

Report: Border Patrol agents demoralized over not being able to do job – ‘Morale is in the toilet’

Posted by: Gregory Hoyt

Law Enforcement today weighs in: According to reports, “morale is in the toilet” with respect to Border Patrol agents due to an alleged inability to do their jobs, per recent statements made by a spokesman for the Del Rio chapter Border Patrol’s union.

The Del Rio chapter union spokesman fears that “there’s really no end in sight” to the agents’ plummeting morale.

Reports show that there were approximately 212,672 people detained along southern border in July, serving as a 13% increase from June and also being the highest number apprehended in 21 years.

The Associated Press also reported that the number of unaccompanied minors stopped at the border in July “likely hit an all-time high.”

Even CNN reported on the influx of crossings in July as being odd, noting that “arrests usually dip” along the southern border during the summer months due to the increased temperatures posing dangers for those making the trek.

And National Border Patrol Council’s Del Rio chapter president Jon Anfinsen says that agents working along the border feel as though they’re not allowed to efficiently perform their duties:

“Morale is in the toilet. Morale is low because agents aren’t allowed to do their job — if our job is to be out patrolling the border in between the ports of entry and actively searching for people who have crossed illegally, but we’re not allowed to go do that job, it basically creates this defeated feeling in everyone.”

Anfinsen says that the agents are feeling “burned out and there’s really no end in sight”:

“Everyone shows up to work sort of downtrodden, almost dead inside, for lack of a better term. They’re not allowed to [do] the job, and they know that people are getting away every single day, every hour.”

A former CBP senior official, who was unnamed, reportedly confirmed that Border Patrol agents’ morale is on the decline:

“Morale is tanking fast. This can be seen in the simple statements made by agents, but even more importantly, it can be seen in increasing processing times. Agents are just flat tired, and we are seeing and hearing it.”

Anfinsen explained part of the problem is that agents are being so overwhelmed with processing of illegal immigrants that are self-surrendering, that they’re tied up in processing centers and not on the field to detain migrants who are able to avoid apprehension:

“Agents are primarily indoors, processing, and we’re dealing with the people who are flagging us down — the ones who are walking up to us and turning themselves in. 

Meanwhile, the immigrants who don’t want anything to do with us, they’re running away, although sometimes they’re walking because they have no need to run because we’re not there.”

While speaking with the Washington Examiner, an unnamed CBP Air and Marine Operations agent based out of Texas said that spotting border crossers along the Rio Grande River is easy, but that “there are no agents available” on the ground to detain them.

Another former CBP employee who maintains regular contact with agents still active in the field also proclaimed that the rank-and-file feel “abandoned” by officials and the current administration:

“These guys feel abandoned by CBP and DHS and the administration. Nobody’s coming to rescue them.”

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