Border Patrol Hiring

Although the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) met its goal of increasing the strength of the Border Patrol by 1,000 agents in both 1997 and 1998, it saw an increase of only 369 agents in 1999 because it was unable to recruit enough qualified applicants and retain them through the hiring process. Although INS attracts large numbers of applicants, few who apply to the Border Patrol successfully complete the application process. Some fail to pass the rigorous entry examination, medical examination, or background check, while others withdraw from the process. INS assigns all new Border Patrol agents to the southwest border, where 92 percent of all agents are stationed. As hiring has increased, the experience level of Border Patrol agents has declined agencywide, as well as along the southwest border. The percentage of agents along the southwest border with two years of experience or less tripled?from 14 percent to 39 percent?between 1994 and 1998. Also, most of the southwest border sectors saw an increase in the average number of nonsupervisory agents assigned to each GS-12 supervisory agent. By relying on a temporary training facility in Charleston, South Carolina, the Border Patrol Academy has been able to provide newly hired agents with the required training and, according to a Border Patrol official, is prepared the meet the training needs associated with future growth.

GAO noted that: (1) INS' recruitment program yielded a net increase of 1,002 Border Patrol agents in FY 1997 and a net increase of 1,035 agents in FY 1998 after accounting for attrition; (2) although INS succeeded in increasing the Border Patrol's onboard strength by 1,000 agents each year, it saw a net increase of only 369 agents in FY 1999 because it was unable to recruit enough qualified applicants and retain them through the hiring process; (3) for the 3-year period ending September 30, 1999, INS experienced a net hiring shortfall of 594 agents; (4) INS has had difficulties attracting and retaining qualified applicants; (5) few individuals who apply to the Border Patrol successfully complete the application process; (6) some fail to pass the rigorous entry examination, medical examination, or background investigation, while others withdraw from the process; (7) in FY 1999, failure and drop-out rates were higher than in the past; (8) to address its hiring problems, INS has redirected $2.2 million to enhance its recruitment program, which includes: (a) initiatives to increase Border Patrol agents' involvement in recruitment and fine-tuning INS' hiring process; (b) surveying applicants for reasons why they register for the written examination but do not report for testing to find out their reasons for not reporting, as well as those who do report for testing for their views on the initial part of the hiring process; and (c) asking applicants their reasons for declining Border Patrol job offers; (9) however, INS does not have plans to survey applicants who voluntarily withdraw at other stages later in the process; (10) as hiring has increased, the average experience level of Border Patrol agents has declined agencywide, as well as along the southwest border; (11) the percentage of agents along the southwest border with 2 years of experience or less almost tripled--from 14 percent to 39 percent--between FY 1994 and FY 1998; (12) during the same period, 7 southwest border sectors experienced some increase in the average number of nonsupervisory agents assigned to each supervisory agent; (13) the Tucson sector experienced the greatest increase, with its ratio of nonsupervisory agents to one supervisory agent rising from 8 to 1 in FY 1994 to about 11 to 1 in FY 1998; and (14) by relying on a temporary training facility in Charleston, South Carolina since 1996, the Border Patrol Academy has been able to provide newly hired agents with required training and, according to a Border Patrol official, is prepared to meet the training needs associated with future growth.

Recommendations

Our recommendations from this work are listed below with a Contact for more information. Status will change from "In process" to "Open," "Closed - implemented," or "Closed - not implemented" based on our follow up work.

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