Customs and Border Protection Struggles to Fill Ranks Amid Immigration Crackdown Despite Pay Incentives

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has launched a recruitment drive for new Border Patrol agents, offering financial incentives and competitive salaries to attract qualified candidates. The initiative comes amid increasing pressure from the Trump administration to bolster border security and crack down on immigration.

According to the federal employment portal USAJOBS, new agents will receive a $20,000 signing bonus, distributed in two payments: $10,000 upon successful completion of training and another $10,000 after fulfilling a three-year service commitment. Those willing to work in designated high-priority locations may qualify for an additional $10,000, bringing the total potential bonus to $30,000.

Base salaries for new recruits at the GL-5 and GL-7 levels range from $49,739 to $89,518 annually. After completing training, agents are eligible for a 25% increase in base pay under the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, hold a valid driver's license, and be authorized to carry firearms. Proficiency in Spanish is required in addition to English, given the nature of the job.

Among the duties listed on the posting are detecting and questioning individuals suspected of immigration violations, inspecting documents, preventing unauthorized border crossings, tracking illegal entries, and conducting urban and rural patrols. The position is classified as high-risk and may require travel based on operational needs.

The job posting also includes a couple of videos from CBP's official Youtube channel:

The recruitment effort by CBP comes as the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) faces ongoing staffing challenges across its immigration-related agencies, as NPR reports. Although the Biden administration added over 19,000 employees to DHS during the past four years—including 3,000 at CBP—the agency has struggled to meet its Border Patrol staffing targets.

A Government Accountability Office report found that CBP has not been able to recruit enough agents to replace those leaving the force since 2021.

Staffing shortfalls are not unique to CBP. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has also faced hiring difficulties, particularly as the Trump administration prepares to implement stricter immigration enforcement policies, including mass deportations. Former ICE officials have noted that only a fraction of the agency's 20,000 employees focus on removals, and the workforce is not equipped to meet the scale of enforcement envisioned under the new administration.

Sarah Saldaña, former ICE commissioner under President Barack Obama, told NPR that months-long training is just one of the barriers to building up ICE staffing quickly:

"You need to bring somebody on board, but they can't start working the next day. They need a serious amount of training in order to help them carry out their duties appropriately and effectively. It sounds like anyone is vulnerable to being apprehended and removed. So that's going to tax the current workforce"

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem has pledged to secure additional resources for personnel, stating, "It is my responsibility to do everything that I can to give you the resources that you need to do your job." However, hiring more agents will require congressional approval for increased funding.