According to data from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), there has been a significant increase in the number of agents leaving the agency since President Joe Biden assumed office.
The Border Patrol has reportedly lost nearly a quarter of its agents since 2020, a trend that many attribute to the escalating crisis at the southern border under the current administration.
The CBP, which boasts over 19,000 agents, saw 4,281 of its members depart between October 2020 and April 2024. This figure includes those who voluntarily resigned, were compelled to retire, or opted for early retirement.
An Arizona-based agent, speaking to the Washington Examiner, lamented the current state of affairs. "Under Biden, things are the worst they have ever been by far," the agent said. "Agents are calling in all the time. You always hear, 'It doesn't matter,' or, 'Whats the point?' in reference to doing our job. Agents are afraid of ending up on the news for doing their job or getting in trouble for doing their job. There is no morale."
The Washington Examiner, citing CBP data, reported that between fiscal 2021 and 2023, 3,665 agents left the force. An additional 616 agents departed in the first half of FY2024. Although the number of agents voluntarily resigning has remained relatively stable over the past decade, the Biden administration has seen a significant surge in early retirements. Since Biden's election, an average of 529 agents have left voluntarily each year, more than double the average of the previous seven years.
Despite the growing disillusionment among agents, the CBP has reported an attrition rate of between 4 and 6 percent, with the force maintaining a steady count of approximately 25,000 members.
The Biden administration has also witnessed an alarming increase in suicides among CBP agents, particularly those on the front lines dealing with the daily atrocities of the southern border crisis.
"We regularly see things that people should never see, like rotting human remains, abuse of every kind, babies and kids dying or dead," one agent told the Free Press. "Do you know what that does to you over time? You have to shut down a part of yourself to keep going."
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