Senators ask for Border Patrol overtime pay

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - U.S. lawmakers are fighting for senior border patrol agents to get the overtime pay they were promised. 

U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona and other lawmakers are urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary to implement the overtime pay, which was signed last December but has not taken effect yet. 

“To make sure that we’re paying the overtime to those that are truly working hard to protect our country and protect our borders,” said Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls.

Border Patrol agents do not currently receive compensation for extra hours worked.

Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls is also in support of getting these agents properly paid.

“Well our border patrol agents senior and otherwise have been working very hard for the last several years and making sure that people are paid and compensated for their hard work is the basic American principle so I think that's a very appropriate action,” said Mayor Nicholls.

Other local leaders agree.

“I think that we need to support that so that they can continue doing the work of national security and border security they need to know that we stand behind them,” said Yuma County Board of Supervisor Jonathan Lines.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection said in March they saw over 5,800 migrants in the Yuma sector, meanwhile, the month of April saw just over 5,600.

Sinema requested a briefing on the USDA’s efforts to install this change no later than June 19.