U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07), who chairs the House Homeland Security Committee, commemorated the U.S. Border Patrol’s 100th anniversary on Tuesday by introducing a resolution in honor of the agency.
Congress established The Border Patrol under former President Calvin Coolidge on May 28, 1924.
The Border Patrol was initially charged with securing the borders between inspection stations before its patrol areas were expanded in 1925 to include the seacoast along the Gulf of Mexico and Florida.
Supervision of the Border Patrol was eventually divided in 1932 under two directors: one in charge of the Mexican border and the other in charge of the Canadian border.
In 1952, the Border Patrol was first permitted to board and search a conveyance for illegal aliens and patrol all territory within 25 miles of a land border.
The Border Patrol officially became part of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2003, when the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) was dissolved.
As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Green said, “This Committee is proud to reaffirm its unwavering support for the U.S. Border Patrol and the agents who work tirelessly day and night to secure our borders and protect the American people.”
“Now more than ever, these dedicated public servants, as well as their families, are faced with overwhelming challenges caused by the Biden administration’s historic border crisis and disregard of Border Patrol personnel,” Green continued. “The stories these agents tell and the burden they have been forced to bear are unthinkable. Their courage and determination in the face of physical threats and the increasing mental and emotional costs deserve more than just our gratitude.”
“That is why this Committee will continue our fight to give our men and women in green the support needed to accomplish their crucial mission in the field, secure our nation’s borders, and protect their fellow Americans,” Green added.
In Fiscal Year 2023, CBP agents conducted over 37,000 humanitarian rescue operations at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In addition, agents seized roughly 2,800 pounds of fentanyl between official ports of entry in Fiscal Year 2023, nearly tripling those from Fiscal Year 2021.
Total encounters at ports of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border last month grew nearly 100 percent compared to April 2021. Encounters have also increased exponentially at the U.S.-Canada border, as last month saw an increase of 1,240 percent when compared to April of 2021
“The Biden administration is now on track to hit 10 million encounters at America’s borders nationwide well before the end of the fiscal year––showing the border crisis remains at catastrophic levels,” the House Homeland Security Committee revealed in its April “Startling Stats” factsheet.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Mark Green” by Mark Green.
