The National Border Patrol Council, representing approximately 16,000 U.S. Border Patrol agents, congratulated president-elect Donald Trump on his projected victory over Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The council's leadership commended the outcome, framing it as a significant achievement for the nation.
"We consider today's victory for President Trump not just a victory for himself, but a victory for the entire country." Council Vice President Art Del Cueto told Newsweek. We look forward to working with him like we have in the past to fix the many issues that have affected our nation's borders in the last four years."
The union had formally endorsed Trump at a rally in Prescott Arizona on October 13. Back then, council president Paul Perez publicly criticized Harris's immigration policies, accusing them of jeopardizing U.S. communities:
"If we allow border czar Harris to win this election, every city, every community in this great country is going to go to hell. The untold millions of people unvetted, who she has allowed into this country that are committing murders, rapes, robberies, burglaries and every other crime will continue to put our country in peril"
Perez went on to say that "only Trump can fix that" because he has "always stood with the men and women who protect this border, who put their lives on the line for the country." Trump responded to the endorsement later on in the Arizona rally saying it was "a great honor", and adding that "they said it was unanimous."
Trump has indicated that he will focus on enhanced border security and immigration reform, both of which resonated strongly with Border Patrol agents and advocates of stricter border controls. To achieve his goal, he has pledged to hire 10,000 new agents, give a 10 percent raise to existing agents, and offer $10,000 retention and signing bonuses, according to Newsweek. He has also vowed to conduct "the largest deportation operation" in U.S. history.
Trump, however, criticized a bipartisan border bill in Congress earlier in the year that would have paved the way for more Border Patrol agents and that had the backing of the National Border Patrol Council, as CNN reported upon the union's endorsement.
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