Border Patrol union concerned about agent health
Health concerns are stemming from a local Border Patrol union as agents are spending more time processing detainees, rather than out in the field.
Mario Campos, the union representative of the Yuma Sector, said that agents are generally concerned that they could contract some type of illness.
They also claim that at least two agents went to the hospital to be screened for scabies and one, in fact, had the infestation.
He said that the agents attribute it to working at the processing center and said during that time, some detainees inside had scabies.
” We have no real way to screen them for illness. Other than they get their vitals taken and the medical staff and agents screen for physical signs of injury or illness, ” said Campos.
Campos added there is no way to track the illnesses because there is no way to know what those inside the processing center may have.
He claimed that the agency checks vitals and physical signs of illness, but they do not have the means or authority to conduct blood and urine tests.
There is also no recorded number of illnesses that have hit the Yuma Sector.
” We do not track the number of specific illnesses we encounter, however, it may be something that we start to track in the near future, ” said Agent Jose Garibay with the Yuma Sector Border Patrol.
