U.S. Customs and Border Protection on Tuesday announced the creation of a new position, the Patrol Processing Coordinator, that is designed to help provide relief to America's overwhelmed Border Patrol agents. The Patrol Processing Coordinator is responsible for various administrative tasks associated with the detainee intake process. This person is also responsible for transporting illegal aliens to hospitals if they need medical care and remain at said hospitals for custodial watch.
“I am committed to providing the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol the resources they need to accomplish their border security mission,” Carla Provost, Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, said in a statement. “Border Patrol Processing Coordinators will take on processing, transportation, and custody responsibilities, which will free up agents for critical law enforcement operations.”
Border Patrol agents have complained about the lack of manpower along the southern border. As more people flock to the border, agents have been pulled from the field and are spending the majority of their time processing detainees instead of being boots on the ground. According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 40 percent of the agents stations along the southern border are "currently conducting processing, transportation, care and hospital watch, feeding, and cleaning duties instead of frontline law enforcement responsibilities."
The agency is currently working to develop the position and plans to begin hiring Patrol Processing Coordinators next fiscal year, although the number of hires is currently unknown.