LA Mayor Karen Bass says Hispanics join Border Patrol for money, that it's 'sad'

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called it "sad" that Hispanics are being recruited into Border Patrol and suggested that they do so primarily because they are looking for money. When speaking about a CNN report that said that many new Border Patrol agents are Hispanic, Bass said, “Well, in a way, I think it’s sad."

“I think that those Border Patrol agents are going to have a difficult time when they’re out in the field and they see what actually happens in real life separate from their training," she added. Bass was responding to the report from CNN where some Hispanic agents were asked about critics who say they are arresting their "own blood" or "own kind."

“They didn‘t come in the right way. So, they aren‘t my kind,” one 20-year-old Border Patrol recruit, Juan Peralta, said in the CNN report. “I’m protecting my community. I’m protecting both sides of the border."

Around half of those who work as Border Patrol are Hispanic, according to government data. Bass, however, thinks that Hispanic Americans are joining up for financial reasons.

“I do understand that their primary incentive is financial,” the mayor said. “I think it just speaks to the financial situation that millions of Americans find themselves in. And I definitely am concerned about that report."

New Border Patrol agents are currently eligible for up to $60,000 in incentives, according to DHS. The incentive has been offered "to attract highly skilled professionals for key law enforcement and specialized roles within the agency."

The incentive includes a "$10,000 after completing the academy and an additional $10,000 if assigned to a remote location," the agency adds on the website.