Border Patrol Draws Scrutiny as Its Role Grows

With a proposed major expansion, the Border Patrol may soon overtake the Federal Bureau of Investigations, or FBI, as the largest federal law enforcement agency. But, Border Patrol is having some major problems with recruitment and training difficulties, and several agents are facing accusations of misconduct in the work place. The Department of Homeland Security will audit the Border Patrol's recruitment, hiring, and training practices to determine if it can handle the rapid expansion. David V. Aguilar, the man in charge of the Border Patrol, told the U.S. Government that it was absolutely necessary to have the Border Patrol to ensure national security. While the Border Patrol is trying to get as many new guards as possible, it will take time to train them, therefore, the U.S. National Guard is helping out along the border. Sadly, it is taking even longer to hire new guards, due to extremely long background-checks in order to ensure that the guard will perform his job the right way. It is a great wonder if Congress will provide the money in coming years to hire agents for the Patrol and whether the agency can bring in enough quality recruits to meet President Bush's goals. Last year, with 11,106 agents, the Border Patrol arrested 1.2 million people on charges of illegally crossing into the United States; in 1995, with 4,876 agents, it arrested 1.3 million. Arrests have gone up and down every year between then and now, and will most likely rise in the coming years.

Relating to American history, the Border Patrol traces its roots to a Texas Ranger named Jeff Milton, one of the last of the Old West "gunslingers". He became famous by hunting down Geronimo and patrolling the Mexican border in the 1880's with horse and pistol.
This also reminds me of the late 1800s in American History, in which immigrants from all over the world came to America. While these millions of people came to America for freedom and safety, they were treated with racism by many nativists. Eventually, these people were accepted into America, but it seems that every new group of people who migrate to this country are subject to harsh racism.