Trump pushes plan to hire more Border Patrol agents

Former President Trump said Sunday that if elected he would call on Congress to boost the pay of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to meet a goal of hiring 10,000 agents.

“So in order to meet the goal of hiring 10,000 new agents — we need … agents. We have to — we need them badly, and keeping our incredible veteran agents on the force, don’t leave us,” Trump told supporters at a rally in Prescott Valley, Ariz.

“But after I win, I will be asking Congress immediately to approve a 10 percent raise. Haven’t had one in a long time for all agents, and a $10,000 each retention and signing bonus,” Trump said later.

Congress and the agency have each take measures to address pay or recruitment over the last year. Congress approved “higher rates of regularly scheduled overtime pay” for certain Border Patrol agents in its last annual defense spending bill. CBP also announced earlier this year it would be offering as much as $30,000 for new hires.

Immigration and border security are top issues in the Grand Canyon State, and Trump’s remarks are meant to appeal to both Republicans and swing voters.

Trump also used the rally to reiterate some of his prior policy stances, including not taxing tips and overtime pay.

Trump’s rally comes less than a month before the election. Arizona is among a handful of battleground states that will determine who returns to the White House. Trump won the state in 2016, but narrowly lost it to President Biden in 2020.

Arizona is also home to a competitive Senate race, as Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.) and Republican Kari Lake vie for retiring Sen. Kyrsten Sinema’s (I-Ariz.) seat.