Many residents of border counties have mixed feelings about the role of the U.S. Border Patrol. But as employment opportunities shrink in those counties and the border patrol staffing grows, the agency is becoming a more attractive option, even for immigrants who may have negative feelings about current immigration policies.
Team members examined data from the U.S. Census and U.S. Customs and Border Enforcement as well as interviewed aspiring border patrol agents. One said he always wondered how a Latino could become a border patrol agent, but then after 2008, this became the only viable job option available to him.
- Alex Corey
- Pilar De Haro
- Calvin Ortega Jr.
- Misty Ring-Ramirez
- Helga Salinas
- Keila Vizcarra