“Restricted to Female Applicants Only” reads a recent U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) hiring announcement on USAJobs.gov, advertising CBP’s goal to fill positions in border states from California to Texas with more females. Minorities and veterans are specifically encouraged to apply, while males are explicitly excluded from consideration.
The targeted hiring is part of “an initiative to fill a critical need for female agents on the Southwest Border,” according to a CBP announcement. Referenced as a critical need, the female hiring initiative is attributed in part to a need for female agents in screening increased numbers of female detainees.
“The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has granted CBP an exception to Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 332, Section 332.407 which authorizes the targeted recruitment of female agents along the southwest border of the United States. Therefore, this announcement is limited to the recruitment of female applicants,” the job posting notes.
The description asserts an increased number of females within CBP will create a “stronger and more diverse workforce.”
National Border Patrol Council Local 1613 Spokesman Gabe Pacheco told Breitbart California that the female-only hiring blitz is expected to fill some 1,000 positions. That would make up the majority of 1,600 positions expected to be filled within CBP during the year.
“Customs and Border Protection, US Border Patrol, is making a special effort to attract and hire one thousand new female agents,” Pacheco told Breitbart News. “We know that females are really underrepresented as Border Patrol agents within the ranks and so the thousand females that come on will be a great compliment to our line.”
As for what type of women would best fit the job, Pacheco said: “We are looking for a specific personality of female who likes to go outside, likes to shoot guns, likes to drive 4X4’s, likes to work in the dark and likes shift work.”
Even though the job posting specifically targets females, Pacheco says, “They are required to meet the same hiring and passing standards as the men.” He remarked, “They bring about a unique perspective to the job.”
Applications for the specific positions are being accepted from December 1 through 10.
The posting describes the role of CBP employees as follows: “CBP employees protect our Nation’s borders from terrorism, human and drug smuggling, illegal migration, and agricultural pests while simultaneously facilitating the flow of legitimate travel and trade.”
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