Almost a year ago, the U.S. Border Patrol was bleeding personnel. In the four years of the Biden presidency, the law enforcement agency lost nearly a quarter of its ranks. U.S. Customs and Border Protection staffing data showed just over 4,200 agents had left the federal agency between October 2020 and April 2024. Many opted to retire, while others quit. Then there was the tragedy on Biden’s watch of agents who committed suicide because of the horrors they had to witness under the rampant invasion of the Southern border, coupled with their inability to actually do their job of deterrence and enforcement of the law.  

What a difference a new administration and a renewed mandate make. In a March House Homeland Security Committee oversight hearing, President of U.S. Border Patrol Union Local 2366 Jon Anfinsen spoke about the positive shift in morale among the border patrol agents since President Donald Trump was sworn in as president.

The fact that the Biden administration and former Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas neutered the agents, preventing them from adhering to and enforcing immigration law, while allowing the border to be overrun, was not just a recipe for disaster, but for demoralization. A few weeks after the hearing, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks went on Fox News’ “America Reports” to boast about not only the increase in morale but an increase in recruitment as well.

Speaking to “America’s Newsroom,” Banks said, “We’ve had the handcuffs taken off” and “we’re allowed to actually do our job, which is go out and enforce the law.  

“Under this administration, they have literally taken the handcuffs off and allowed us to enforce law instead of policies that were created to contradict the law and so our morale has continued to rise,” he continued. 

WATCH: 

Thanks to Trump’s policies to secure the border, a report has confirmed that border crossings were at the lowest they have been in decades. This is what happens when a president unleashes law enforcement to do the work they were called to do, and lead in the work of helping to Make America Safe Again. 

“Trump promised to shut the U.S. border to illegal immigration after surreptitious crossings reached record levels under the Biden administration.

… Since taking office, Trump has delivered … as encounters have since fallen further to their lowest levels since the 1960s.” pic.twitter.com/jmQ9qKfZ8e

— skepticalifornia (@skepticaliblog) April 20, 2025

As John A. Shedd said in his collection of sayings, “Salt from My Attic”:

A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.

Border Patrol agents are made to serve, protect, and enforce immigration law that will keep the country secure, and they are beyond thrilled that, thanks to President Trump, they are now free to do just that. There are also many men and women who desire to find this type of meaningful and purposeful work, so this sea change has inspired them to want to get on board. It is morning in America once again.