A depleted and exhausted Border Patrol is facing the prospect of losing “hundreds if not thousands” of its agents this month for failing to comply with President Joe Biden’s unilateral COVID vaccine mandate.
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich wrote a letter to Biden earlier this week sounding the alarm about potentially disastrous personnel losses over a harsh and possibly unconstitutional mandate.
“My office is aware of thousands of Border Patrol agents that are at risk of being fired if they do not succumb to your unlawful, immoral COVID-19 vaccine mandate in the near future,” claimed Brnovich. “The loss of hundreds — if not thousands — of Border Patrol agents would be catastrophic to this vital agency.”
The nearly two-page letter also blasts the president’s administration for its handling of the porous southern border, its demoralization of the Border Patrol, and its handling of unvaccinated illegal aliens.
“Your administration, alone, is responsible for the chaos and lawlessness that has disseminated from the border,” said Brnovich.
The Arizona AG drew attention to Biden’s response to Border Patrol agents on horseback who were depicted on video attempting to chase away Haitian migrants in September. Left-wing Twitter users falsely claimed that agents were “whipping” the migrants — what they claimed were whips were actually horse reins. But politicians like Ilhan Omar and the mainstream media ran with the false narrative anyway.
The incident came amidst a wave of 10,000 Haitians who crossed the border and set up an encampment in Del Rio, Texas. Some were eventually deported, but most ended up in various cities across the United States.
Brnovich criticized President Biden for promising that the Border Patrol agents in the video “will pay” and face “consequences,” calling those remarks “reckless.”
“As Commander in Chief, you took an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. Unfortunately, the results of this border crisis will do more damage to the Constitution and rule of law than anything else you could accomplish,” the Arizona AG wrote.
It is no secret that the Border Patrol is facing widespread exhaustion after a summer onslaught of illegal border crossings that surpassed previous record highs, which was also concomitant with chronic understaffing and underfunding.
Although Border Patrol agents will be required to get the COVID vaccine or face potential termination, it’s been previously reported that unvaccinated illegal aliens are offered the vaccine but are not compelled to take it prior to processing.
Evan Stambaugh
Evan Stambaugh is a freelance writer who had previously been a sports blogger. He has a BA in theology and an MA in philosophy.
