Last month, DHS Sec. Janet Napolitano, told Congress that due to the sequester, the department would have to the cut hours of 5,000 Border Patrol agents and 2,750 Customs and Border
Protection officers. To the horror of many congressional Republicans, she is making good on that promise:
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued furlough notices to its
employees this month. They could be out of work for up to 14 days from
the end of April through September.
Today, Senator John Cornyn released a written statement saying:
“The Obama administration’s actions amount to nothing short of a
calculated, willful neglect of what should be a President’s top
priority: protecting the homeland and keeping Americans safe.”***
“The fact that the administration would needlessly jeopardize the safety
of American citizens as part of a continued misinformation campaign
surrounding the effects of sequestration is outrageous and reprehensible.”
On Fox News, earlier today, it was reported that the cutbacks are occurring even after the agency was given enough money to cover those salaries. William La Jeunesse said,”when you think of trimming the bloated budget, the last place most people want to cut is at the border.”
He continued, “the border is about to become 25% less secure. Agents will no longer
work a full ten hour shift. Thereby leaving the border unattended,
naked, for up to two hours at a time during each shift change and perhaps up to eight hours a day in some areas.”