They collected information from Border Patrol agents who protect our border from illegal entries, Office of Field Operations officers who guard our ports of entry, Enforcement and Removal Operations officers who enforce immigration laws, and Homeland Security Investigations agents who investigate cross-border criminal activity.Ĩ8 percent of ICE and CBP law enforcement personnel who responded said their work location was not adequately prepared and staffed during migrant surges.ħ1 percent of CBP personnel and 61 percent of ICE personnel stated that their current work location was not adequately prepared and staffed even during “normal” operations.īut there is nothing “normal” about the current border catastrophe.Īs noted in the IG’s report, “migrant encounters at the Southwest border have risen from approximately 978,000 in fiscal year 2019 to 2.4 million in fiscal year 2022.” Just last month, the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General issued a report examining how law enforcement at Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been negatively impacted by historically high levels of illegal immigration and other operational challenges.įor this audit, the DHS Office of Inspector General surveyed over 9,000 DHS law enforcement personnel within ICE and CBP. The deteriorating conditions along the southwest border and mismanagement of resources have harmed law enforcement and made existing staffing challenges even worse. A humanitarian and national security catastrophe. Our country has since watched the crisis along our southwest border devolve into a catastrophe. On Day One of his Administration, President Biden signaled to the world through words and actions that our borders are open. Subcommittee Chairman Grothman concluded by thanking Inspector General Cuffari for appearing before the subcommittee looking forward to working with his office to ensure continued robust oversight of DHS.īelow are Subcommittee Chairman Grothman’s remarks as prepared:

He continued by emphasizing that the staffing challenges on the border have left the men and women on the front lines of this crisis overwhelmed and stretched to their limits. WASHINGTON - National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee Chairman Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) opened today’s subcommittee hearing on “ Help Wanted: Law Enforcement Staffing Challenges at the Border” by outlining how the Biden border crisis and Administration’s mishandling of resources have debilitated law enforcement and worsened existing staffing challenges.

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