Rep. Xochitl Liana Torres Small (D-NM) introduced Wednesday a measure designed to address Customs and Border Protection (CBP) challenges, including the need for a new position providing migrant processing administrative support.
The Border Workforce Efficiency Act creates a processing coordinator position responsible for executing administrative duties. The position would receive tailored training for processing and handling individuals in custody to improve detention oversight and enable traditional agents to return to the field to focus on law-enforcement duties at the border.
“This past year, our broken border security and immigration system was pushed far beyond its limits, leaving many Border Patrol agents to take on work they weren’t trained to carry out,” Torres Small said. “My bill takes those lessons and creates a new position within Border Patrol to free up agents to return to the field and the work they were trained to do.”
She said by providing CBP the flexibility to create a new position, the nation’s border becomes more secure, and the immigration system can work more fairly and efficiently.
“Our Border Patrol agents have been overworked and understaffed in dealing with the border crisis,” Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), one of the legislation’s original cosponsors, said. “I’ve seen first-hand the deterioration of the security situation as agents are reassigned from protecting the border to handling administrative tasks, like transporting migrants and managing housing centers.”
Cloud said the legislation would ensure agents have the administrative support needed to return to the frontlines of securing the border.