On Tuesday, a Customs and Border Protection source noted that Border Patrol agents at some southwest stations were asked to divert to processing refugees from Afghanistan once they land at United States military bases.
The Border Patrol agents have been solicited for a temporary assignment to assist other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officers to process potentially tens of thousands of Afghan refugees seeking asylum. The solicitation comes as Border Patrol struggles to perform routine patrols for the humanitarian demands of processing mostly Central American migrants.
As reported by Breitbart, the Border Patrol is currently focused entirely on the task of processing, feeding, and caring for the medical issues of thousands of migrants apprehended daily. The burden is such that in many areas along the southwest border, routine field patrols have ceased. DHS volunteers from outside the Border Patrol have been assigned to help the Border Patrol deal with the crisis.
Undoubtedly, meeting the processing and humanitarian needs of thousands of migrants have become regular duties. As of July, migrant apprehensions have skyrocketed to more than 1.2 million since October.
The CBP source explained that basic patrols were cannibalized to perform nearby humanitarian tasks. Any transferred manpower to the coming Afghan influx risks endangering the absorption of Central Americans.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on Twitter @RandyClarkBBTX.