Border Patrol agents see increase in suicide rates amid Biden's border crisis: report

Suicides among Customs and Border Patrol agents have been on the rise in recent years as those on the front lines deal with the daily horrors of the crisis at the southern border. 

While many have simply become numb to the near constant barrage of gruesome sights and stories told by those crossing the border illegally, for some the reality of the situation may have been too much.  

According to the New York Post, the most recent data showed that in 2022, there were 14 suicides reported among CBP's 25,000 agents. The year before Joe Biden took office, less than half that many agents took their own lives. 

"We regularly see things that people should never see, like rotting human remains, abuse of every kind, babies and kids dying or dead," one agent said in an interview with the Free Press. "Do you know what that does to you over time? You have to shut down a part of yourself to keep going." 
 
Another agent described listening to a 13-year-old girl from El Salvador tell him how she'd been "raped twice by her smuggler," who said "he would hurt [her 9-year-old brother] if she didn't cooperate." 
 
National Border Patrol Council president Brandon Judd noted that many agents have become disillusioned by the seemingly never-ending stream of illegal immigrants flooding into the country. 
 
"We recognize when you sign up for law enforcement that you’re going to be thrust into situations that can be very, very stressful," he said. "You're willing to accept that stress if you feel like you're accomplishing something, and right now, there is no sense of accomplishment." 

Judd also explained that field agents who do begin to have suicidal thoughts often hide their feelings from their superiors out of a fear that they'll be placed on desk duty, which brings with it lower pay and the risk of stigmatization. 
 
In a statemen to the Post, a CBP spokesperson said, "Maintaining morale supporting frontline personnel, and ensuring our resilient workforce has the resources available to maintain a healthy work-life balance is a top priority for CBP leadership."