Report outlines challenges to implementing Trump’s immigration, border hiring order

A recent special report by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Office of Inspector General (OIG) identified challenges to implementing the immigration and border officer hiring surge mandated by President Trump’s Executive Orders.

In January, President Trump ordered DHS to hire an additional 5,000 Border Patrol Agents and 10,000 Immigration Officers. The Secretary of Homeland Security then implemented memoranda to provide direction to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in hiring the agents and officers.

The DHS report found that neither CBP nor ICE could provide sufficient data to support the operational need or deployment strategies for the new hires. Inadequate workforce planning, the report said, may undermine the agencies’ efforts to fulfill the mandate.

“It’s not surprising that President Trump’s decree to drastically expand the Border Patrol and increase his deportation force was put in place without a clear need for the 15,000 new agents and officers or a plan for hiring and deploying them,” Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), ranking member on the Committee on Homeland Security, said. “CBP and ICE already face numerous challenges with recruiting and hiring qualified applicants and forcing this massive hiring surge will only exacerbate underlying problems at both agencies.”

The DHS report also noted that fulfilling the hiring mandate would require approximately 1.25 million applicants and hiring an additional 9,600 support staff. Human resources may not be adequately staffed, the report said, to successfully complete the hiring processes.

“Instead of rushing to fulfill campaign promises, this Administration should understand that skimping on workforce planning is an irresponsible waste of limited resources,” Thompson said. “I hope DHS goes back to the drawing board and shows us the need for new personnel along with a clear plan on how to better manage them once deployed.”