Border Patrol faces transportation challenges for asylum-seekers

As thousands of undocumented immigrants continue to unlawfully cross into the United States, Border Patrol’s resources have been put under a strain. This includes the buses that agents use to transport these families to other stations or even to the hospital.

Agents at the Yuma Sector said that every agent has to be certified in order to drive the Department of Homeland Security buses. Agents confirm that it costs the agency 17,000 dollars for each agent to get their commercial license.

“Not all of our agents are certified and they don’t have those commercial licenses. So we’ve had to start sending more agents to the school that way they can drive these buses,” said Jose Garibay, a Border Patrol Agent.

The school process is an 88-hour course in the area for agents.

“They have to go to a school here in Yuma. That’s local so that takes them out of the field and out of their border security mission in order to get trained,” said Agent Garibay.

The Yuma Sector currently has 12 agents that are certified with commercial licenses and about four agents at the Wellton Station.

“We have to send more agents to get trained and get their CDL because we are seeing an increase in those larger groups that are putting a huge strain on our resources,” said Agent Garibay.

Agent Garibay said that the cost for the humanitarian crisis has more than doubled for the fiscal year 2019.

“The transportation of these individuals to the hospital, in between to the stations, and to ICE. We are at currently for the fiscal year to date over $1.1 million dollars on these costs,” said Agent Garibay.