Record number of Border Patrol agents now serving under Trump

By Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

A record number of U.S. Border Patrol agents are now serving under President Donald Trump.

As of this spring, 21,471 Border Patrol agents are now serving, U.S. Customs and Border Protection said Wednesday. This is the highest staffing level in U.S. Border Patrol’s 102-year history.

CBP’s fiscal 2026 budget is about $23 billion, roughly the same as its fiscal 2025 budget. Trump wants to increase that spending to hire more Border Patrol agents and to expand the border wall at the southern border. Some U.S. Senate reconciliation packages proposed over $70 billion for CBP and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, under which CBP and ICE are housed, reports that it has deported nearly 900,000 noncitizens who entered the U.S. illegally since Trump took office in January 2025. At least 14 million foreign nationals illegally entered under the Biden administration, The Center Square reported.

“This record-setting achievement highlights the effectiveness of our recruitment efforts,” U.S. Border Patrol Chief Rosario “Pete” Vasquez said. “We are building a stronger workforce every day, and our progress toward 25,000 agents will further enhance our ability to protect our borders and serve the nation.”

The announcement came after Trump’s first Border Patrol chief in his second administration implemented a series of policy reforms and swore in a record number of new agents. The largest number of Border Patrol agents were recruited in U.S. history under now retired Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks.

Under his tenure, within a year and a half, 2,000 new agents had joined, and another 2,000 were at the Border Patrol Academy.

“We have the largest number of trainees in history with another 2,000 next year,” Banks told The Center Square in May after he retired. At the time, agents totaled more than 21,000.

The milestone also came after the Trump administration implemented a series of hiring incentives that resulted in a record number of applications – 34,650 – in Trump’s first four months in office, The Center Square reported.

This was a reversal from the Biden administration era when Border Patrol’s attrition rate was 6.9% – 72% higher than that of CBP’s Office of Field Operations – and was “expected to climb to over 9% by 2028,” The Center Square reported.

Suicides were also high during the Biden administration. At the height of the border crisis, 17 Border Patrol agents committed suicide in 2022. The next year, a Border Patrol union representative testified at a congressional hearing about the hardships agents were experiencing due to administration policies, The Center Square reported.

“Morale was at all time low because agents had their hands tied preventing them from upholding their oath to protect Americans and prevent weapons, drugs and people from entering the country illegally,” Banks told The Center Square.

Trump “had the foresight to know we need to get everything in place to prevent future administrations from easily undoing our successes,” he added.

Banks implemented policies “to stop the bleeding of agents leaving the agency and restored integrity,” including retention bonuses and cutting red tape. When he came into office, there were 1,693 policies that prevented agents from doing their jobs, Banks said. When he retired, there were fewer than 400.

Under Trump, CBP is also offering competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits and substantial hiring incentives of up to $60,000 for new Border Patrol agents in eligible locations.

“A career with CBP offers more than employment; it provides a long-term professional path focused on securing the border and serving the nation,” CBP says.

“Our focus is on bringing in top talent and supporting our agents so they can succeed,” CBP Office of Human Resources Management Assistant Commissioner Andrea Bright said. “Surpassing 21,000 agents is a milestone, but we aren’t stopping here and are committed to growing our workforce and providing the tools and resources needed for CBP’s mission.”

The “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act also contributed to increased applicant interest, enabling CBP to “attract top talent, including veterans and military family members,” it said. This includes offering Veterans’ Preference, expedited hiring authorities, and a variety of recruitment incentives and multiple pathways to help veterans transition into federal careers.