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Golden, Pfluger Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Hire and Retain More Rural Border Security Personnel

April 7, 2022

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) introduced today the DHS Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2022. The bipartisan bill would help address Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel shortages in rural areas. Absent a meaningful strategy and progress by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to hire and retain more border patrol agents, immigrations and customs enforcement officials, and other border security officers, DHS will likely need to reallocate personnel from other areas in order to address potential migration surges on the Southern Border in the coming months.

Golden and Plfuger's bill would mandate CBP identify and begin to implement changes to increase hiring and improve retention for CBP officers, Border Patrol agents, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents specifically in rural or remote areas.

"In northern Maine and rural areas across the country, U.S. Customs and Border Protection personnel are too often shorthanded, which affects their ability to protect our borders and communities," said Golden. "Whether in New Mexico or Maine, the federal government needs a strategy to recruit and retain rural border patrol agents, CBP officers, and ICE agents so that we have the personnel needed to fight illicit drug trafficking, enforce immigration laws, and patrol thousands of miles of border. I look forward to working with Rep. Pfluger and my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get this bill passed."

"I am proud to partner in introducing this legislation that will support our U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agencies in rural Texas and all across America," said Pfluger. "Currently, our nation is facing a crisis as deadly drugs like fentanyl pour across the border and devastate our communities. We must ensure our border patrol has the resources they need to successfully combat this crisis. This bill is just one more step in the ongoing fight to protect our homeland."

The bill outlines initiatives that could be included in the plan, including changes to financial incentives and compensation for agents, officers, and their families, enhanced recruitment outreach to higher education institutions, veterans organizations, and job placement programs, and the creation of pilot programs to address hiring and recruitment challenges.

"I want to thank Congressmen Golden and Pfluger for introducing this important piece of legislation to require the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy for hiring more Border Patrol Agents. There is a crisis now at the border and last month we apprehended 200,000 illegal immigrants trying to enter our country. Against this backdrop, Border Patrol for the first time in 5 years will not meet its hiring targets. The result is that we do not have enough manpower to handle the crisis and are robbing Peter to pay Paul but redeploying agents from other sectors to fill the gaps. This includes Northern Border Agents in Maine where we are already thinly staffed and in Texas. Border Patrol needs a plan and they need it now," - Brandon Judd, National President, National Border Patrol Council and former Maine Border Patrol Agent stationed in Maine

"NTEU Chapter 141, representing Customs and Border Protection employees at ports of entry in Maine, New Hampshire and Halifax, Canada, strongly supports the DHS Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2022, introduced by Rep. Jared Golden. Through NTEU's legislative conferences and meetings in Maine, members and leaders of Chapter 141 have talked regularly with Rep. Golden about the difficulties in recruiting and retaining CBP employees at remote ports, and we appreciate the Congressman's willingness to hear directly from frontline employees who have first-hand knowledge of the problem and his receptiveness on this issue. Here in Maine, many of our ports lose quality candidates to Boston, where federal employees earn more through locality pay. NTEU looks forward to working with Rep. Golden to pass this legislation and develop a strategy for making CBP's Office of Field Operations a more attractive employer in remote but essential port locations." - Doug Stubbs, President, NTEU Chapter 141

"The DHS Rural and Remote Hiring and Retention Strategy Act of 2022 is a commonsense approach to a problem that is plaguing rural and remote ports of entry staffed by Customs and Border Protection employees that we represent. We thank Rep. Jared Golden for introducing this legislation and shining a light on the recruiting and retention difficulties at ports that may be hundreds of miles from a city, hospital, affordable housing, higher education or other amenities that are important to CBP employees and their families. Our nation's 328 air, land and sea ports are understaffed and NTEU supports efforts to make CBP more competitive in the job market, including higher pay, retention bonuses and other benefits." - Tony Reardon, President, NTEU

Last month, Golden voted to substantially increase funding for local law enforcement and border patrol officers as part of the omnibus government funding bill. The bill was passed by the House and signed into law by the president at the end of the month. In 2021, Golden voted to pass the Bipartisan Infrastructure Act, which included significant funding for border stations across the country, including five land ports of entry in Maine's Second District.

The full bill text can be found here.

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