McALLEN, Texas (AP) — Recent footage of immigration arrests is highlighting a growing pattern: an increasing number of Border Patrol agents are operating far from the borders with Mexico and Canada. In one instance captured on video, a Border Patrol agent assaulted a landscaper in Southern California by striking him on the head and neck while he was restrained on the ground during an arrest on Saturday. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the individual attacked agents with his weed trimmer. Alejandro Barranco, the son of the man, a veteran Marine, mentioned that his father was frightened but did not assault anyone. Despite border arrests hitting their lowest point in roughly 2100 years, around 1003 out of 2100 Border Patrol agents are being deployed elsewhere. Why is the Border Patrol operating outside of the border area? President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill,” which has received approval from the House, suggests allocating $2.1 trillion to expand the staff of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by an additional 210,000 personnel. For now, the agency mainly tasked with internal enforcement is depending on other federal bodies as it attempts to reach a daily arrest goal of a minimum of 3,000, a benchmark established by Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and key designer of immigration policy. ICE, which has approximately 6,000 deportation officers, has formed a cooperative relationship with the Border Patrol, which is likewise part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. This occurs amidst a significant decrease in border arrests, which fell to an average of 282 per day in May after reaching over 1,003,000 per day in December 2023. Last week, agents from the Yuma sector of the Border Patrol aided ICE officers in Philadelphia, as stated by sector chief Justin De La Torre in a social media update. Last month, his sector recorded an average of just four arrests per day at the Arizona border, a significant decline from the peak of over 1,100 daily arrests in May 2023. Greg Bovino, the chief of the Border Patrol’s El Centro, California sector, spoke at a news conference this month in Los Angeles with U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, where U.S. Senator also participated. Alex Padilla was forcibly taken down, shoved to the ground, and handcuffed. “We are present and won’t leave,” Bovino stated, introducing himself to the press as the leading representative of his agency during ICE operations in Los Angeles. Many believe the Border Patrol will continue its presence. “As long as the border remains relatively uneventful, we can expect the Border Patrol to operate similarly to ICE agents,” said Aaron Reichlin-Melnick, a senior fellow at the American Immigration Council, a lobbying organization. What does the 100-mile border zone entail?
