Border Patrol workforce roars back after losing thousands of agents under Biden
The Trump governance’s surge in federal law enforcement hiring has resulted in the Border Patrol reaching its highest number of agents in a century, with 21,471 agents as of spring 2025, the most as its inception in 1924. This increase is attributed to prosperous recruitment efforts, fueled by funding from the One Big Stunning Bill Act, which added 3,000 agents, with the aim to surpass 25,000.Following Trump’s return to office in early 2025,applications to join the Border Patrol surged,exceeding 100,000 by October.However, the border security landscape has changed since the Biden administration’s border surge, during which around 10 million illegal crossings were documented, with the border slowdown seen in recent times. The Border Patrol has also experienced a workforce reduction,losing about 25% under Biden,due to early retirements and resignations,especially among those who joined after 9/11. To address staffing issues, CBP now emphasizes retention incentives, including bonuses of up to $50,000 for staying on, and offers ample financial incentives to new hires, such as bonuses up to $60,000, particularly for assignments in remote areas. Experts warn that substantial retirement increases beginning in late 2026 could impact the agency’s capacity to fulfill its national security role.
The Trump administration’s federal law enforcement hiring surge has been a success for the Border Patrol as the organization’s total number of agents rose this spring to the highest level seen in a century.
As of this spring, 21,471 Border Patrol agents were serving nationwide, as well as abroad, the most seen since the federal police organization was created in 1924, according to Customs and Border Protection, the agency that houses the Border Patrol.
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“This record-setting achievement highlights the effectiveness of our recruitment efforts,” Border Patrol Chief Rosario “Pete” Vasquez said in a statement.
Applications to join the Border Patrol surged following President Donald Trump’s return to office in early 2025, with more than 100,000 applications received as of October 2025, former Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks told the Washington Examiner.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress last summer, funded the addition of 3,000 Border Patrol agents.
Vasquez said the end goal is to surpass 25,000 agents on the front lines.
The hiring surge comes roughly two years after the three-year border surge during the Biden administration, in which approximately 10 million people illegally entered the United States from Mexico and were apprehended by Border Patrol, according to CBP statistics.
The southern border has dramatically slowed with days where just a few dozen to a few hundred people are intercepted crossing illegally, compared to upwards of 10,000 at times under former President Joe Biden.
The Border Patrol lost a quarter of its workforce under Biden, as demoralized agents opted to retire early, find new jobs, or quit.
On top of that, Border Patrol anticipates a sharp uptick in retirements among employees who joined in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.
A report published by the Government Accountability Office in Washington concluded that beginning in late 2026, “significant increases” in retirements across CBP “could have significant effects” on the agency’s ability to meet its national security mission.
The Trump administration and congressional Republicans included a funding solution in the OBBBA to provide CBP funding to hire more staff and retain existing employees.
“One of the things that we’re looking at now is instead of using that money as a recruitment incentive, we’re moving it into the retention incentive programs,” Banks said during an interview in October. “If you sign a two-year agreement to stay on for at least two more years before you’d retire, or before you would decide to leave … you receive that bonus.”
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Agents who stay on with the Border Patrol are eligible for up to $50,000 in bonuses.
CBP is offering various competitive financial incentives to new hires, including up to $60,000. New agents will receive part of that bonus after completing training at the academy in New Mexico and if they accept an assignment to a remote location.
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