Becoming a
BORDER
PATROL
AGENT
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Becoming a
NEW YORK
®
BORDER
PATROL
AGENT
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v
Introduction Why You Need This Book vii
Chapter 1 The Basics of the Job: Duties, Salary, Career Path,
and Hiring Timeline 1
Chapter 2 The Skills, Physical Abilities, and Education
You Need 27
Chapter 3 Military Advantage and Preference to Veterans 45
Chapter 4 The Application Process 53
Chapter 5 Preparing for the U.S. Border Patrol Agent Exam 73
Chapter 6 A History of the U.S. Border Patrol 97
Appendix A Colleges and Universities That Offer Four-Year
Bachelor’s Degrees in Criminal Justice and
Law Enforcement 107
Appendix B Colleges and Universities That Offer Four-Year
Bachelor’s Degrees in Criminal Justice Studies 123
Appendix C Additional Sources of Information: Websites and
Print Resources 149
Appendix D Endnotes 153
Contents
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Why You Need This Book
If you like a challenging job and want to continue serving the
country [and you like being outdoors 24/7], this is it. Your office
is a car, and you’re out there. You may also be on a snowmobile, an
ATV, a motorcycle, a horse, whatever the environment demands.
If I didn’t like it, I wouldn’t still be here. It’s been a good run.
My whole career has been in the federal government. I’m trying to
coach my son into it the same way. We need more people in the
society who want to serve. It’s a great country we have.
—V. Gregory Mish, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent
for the U.S. Border Patrol in Buffalo, NY, who
has served 26 years in the Border Patrol after
6 years in the U.S. Marine Corps
THIS BOOK describes the work and responsibilities of Border
Patrol Agents. It provides information on what qualifications you need
to apply to become a Border Patrol Agent, how to apply, what skills
you will need to be a successful Agent, and what you will actually do
once you’re on the job. If you’ve already decided this is the right job
for you, and you’re ready to prepare for the Border Patrol Exam,
LearningExpress’s Border Patrol Exam, Fourth Edition, is an essential
tool to use alongside this guide, and provides two complete practice
tests for thorough preparation.
First, let’s take a look at the official mission of the Border Patrol, es-
sential information on who can apply, some demographic statistics of
Border Patrol Agents, and some key achievements in the Border Patrol
since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003.
Introduction
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AN OVERVIEW OF THE BORDER PATROL PROFESSION
Border Patrol Agents work for the Customs and Border Protection Agency
(CBP). The Border Patrol was formerly part of the INS, the now-defunct
Immigration and Naturalization Service, which was folded into the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security in 2003: see Chapter 6 for a complete history of
the Border Patrol. Here’s the mission statement of the CBP:
We are the guardians of our nation’s borders. We are America’s
frontline. We safeguard the American homeland at and beyond
our borders. We protect the American public against terrorists
and the instruments of terror. We steadfastly enforce the laws of
the United States while fostering our nation’s economic security
through lawful international trade and travel. We serve the Amer-
ican public with vigilance, integrity, and professionalism.
The CBP accomplishes these goals by performing the following duties:
screening passengers, vehicles, and shipments entering the United
States
seizing illegal narcotics, vehicles, and agricultural products
preventing unauthorized entry into the United States
rescuing individuals who fall into dangerous conditions when travers-
ing U.S. borders
Here’s a quick overview of the results of those responsibilities, in (fiscal)
2006:
1
The Border Patrol stopped more than 1 million people from entering
the United States illegally.
The Border Patrol seized more than 1.3 million pounds of marijuana.
The Border Patrol seized more than 13,000 pounds of cocaine.
The Border Patrol seizes more drugs per year than all other Federal agen-
cies combined.
2
Currently, the busiest area is the Border Patrol’s Tucson Sec-
tor, in Arizona.
3
Chapter 1 includes a list (Exhibit 1-4) and a map (Exhibit 1-5)
of all 20 sectors.
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Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Border Patrol’s func-
tions have changed: the agency became part of the Department of Homeland
Security’s U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. Moreover, the new
CBP has a new “priority mission” to prevent terrorist and terrorist weapons
from entering the United States.
4
Although the primary responsibilities of a
Border Patrol Agent’s job are still preventing illegal aliens and illegal contra-
band (especially drugs) from crossing U.S. borders, this new mission placed
additional pressure on Border Patrol Agents. Here’s how one Border Patrol
spokesman summed up the change: “We have to be not only more vigilant, we
have to look for more things. We have to be concerned with trucks carrying a
lot of fertilizer or individuals carrying lab equipment. Before, we wouldn’t
have second-guessed it. Now, we have to second-guess it.”
5
Chapter 1 provides more detailed information on the duties and respon-
sibilities of Border Patrol Agents; Chapter 2 provides specifics on the intel-
lectual, interpersonal, and physical skills required to become an Agent.
CAN YOU BE A BORDER PATROL AGENT?
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU APPLY
According to www.usajobs.gov, the official job site of the U.S. Federal Gov-
ernment, there are several key requirements you need to meet in order to
apply to become a Border Patrol Agent:
You must be a U.S. citizen.
You must be under the age of 40 when you apply (formerly, this age
requirement was age 37).
You must have a valid state driver’s license.
You must have lived in the United States for the last three years before
you apply.
You must take a drug test.
You must not have been convicted of domestic violence.
You must take a medical exam and a physical fitness exam.
You must pass a background security investigation.
Additionally, you need to have either a college education (a four-year
bachelor’s degree) or one year of work experience that exposed you to
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stressful situations demanding quick decisions (such as police work or other
law enforcement or active military duty). Chapter 1 provides details on the
qualifications and work requirements for different levels of employment.
If you meet these basic requirements and are interested in learning more
about Border Patrol work, this book is for you, so read on. Keep in mind,
however, some sobering statistics:
The Border Patrol recruited more than 70,000 people in a recent
year to get 1,700 qualified agents.
6
That’s only about 2.5% of recruits
who made the cut. According to one agent, the hardest part of the
Border Patrol application process is the stringent background
check.
7
Only 40% of people who apply to become a Border Patrol Agent pass the
written exam (described in Chapters 4 and 5). Todd Bryant, acting as-
sistant chief of the Border Patrol’s training and recruitment branch,
says “It’s a very difficult test....If you come in cold [that is, without
studying and preparing for the test], your chances aren’t good.”
Moreover, for every 30 people who apply to take the Border Patrol’s
written exam (described in Chapters 4 and 5), only one person enters
the Border Patrol Academy. That’s only 3.3% of all applicants.
Finally, there’s also a 12% attrition rate of trainees, according to T.J.
Bonner, president of the National Border Patrol Council, which is
the Agents’ union.
8
Also, keep in mind that you may be rated unsuitable for a Border Patrol
Agent position if your background includes any of the following:
past or present arrests
convictions, including misdemeanor domestic violence charges (as
noted above, in the key requirements)
dismissals from previous jobs
debts and financial issues
excessive use of alcohol
use of illegal drugs, and/or the sale and distribution of illegal drugs
And you may be subject to a polygraph examination.
9
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If you’ve served in the military, you may find it easier to become a Border
Patrol Agent, as some of the work and many of the work conditions (such as
terrain and climate) are similar. There is also veterans’ preference in hiring
for the Border Patrol. Chapter 3 provides details on the military advantage.
The complete application process is described in detail in Chapter 4. Also,
keep in mind that when the CBP is actively recruiting for agents, informa-
tion will be posted on the CBP.gov website or on the USA Jobs website.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE
BORDER PATROL ACADEMY—AN OVERVIEW
If you do get hired, you need to complete successfully a 55-day paid Basic
Academy training at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy in Artesia, New Mex-
ico. This training is described in detail in Chapter 4. If you don’t speak
Spanish, you will also attend an additional 40 days (beyond the 55-day basic
Academy training) for Spanish language instruction.
10
This is 13 weeks
(more than 3 months) of training, and training may continue for 17 weeks
or even 20 weeks—in other words, 5 months. Details on the Border Patrol
Academy and other education are provided in Chapter 2.
You should keep in mind that if you are accepted into the Academy, you
must travel to the training in New Mexico at your own expense; you are dis-
couraged from bringing a car or other vehicle; you are discouraged (respect-
fully) from bringing your family or moving your household, because there is
no place to house them on the Academy campus (although your living quar-
ters at the Academy will be provided at no cost to you, in the dorms); and
you will therefore be away from your family and home for a considerable
amount of time.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT
THE JOB ITSELF—THE SHORT ANSWER
If you pass all your tests in the Academy and you are sent out into the field,
you need to be prepared (and willing) to work overtime and perform shift
work under arduous conditions. You must also maintain proficiency in the
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use of firearms. You will be subject to random drug testing, since one of
your responsibilities is to detect and apprehend drug smugglers. You may
also be sent on mandatory temporary assignments on short notice and on
permanent reassignments to any duty location, so you must be ready and
willing to go wherever you’re needed. Finally, you should know that all Bor-
der Patrol Agents begin their careers along the Southwest border of the
United States.
11
Chapter 2 describes in detail the specific responsibilities
and duties of Border Patrol Agents.
DEMOGRAPHIC COMPOSITION
OF THE BORDER PATROL AGENCY
There are more than 13,000 Agents working for the U.S. Border Patrol (as of
July 2007, which is the most recent official count); in fiscal year 2007, the Bor-
der Patrol hired 1,000 agents, bringing the total number of agents to 13,350.
That number is expected to increase by 50% in the very near future. In 2008,
President George W. Bush committed to hiring 6,000 more agents by the end
of the year—the biggest expansion in the Border Patrol’s nearly 82-year his-
tory.
12
This is a significant increase: only once before—in 1998
13
—did the
agency increase its ranks by more than 1,000 in a single year. Between 1992
and 2006, the Border Patrol increased the number of its Agents only by an av-
erage of 530 per year, growing from 4,139 to 12,084.
14
The cost of training
new agents is estimated to be as much as $179,000 per agent.
15
The CBP is an Equal Opportunity Employer, which means that all candi-
dates are considered, regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national ori-
gin, age, sexual orientation, protected genetic information, status as a parent,
lawful political affiliation, marital status, physical or mental disability (if it’s
not a job factor), membership or nonmembership in an employee organiza-
tion, or any other nonmerit factor.
Here are some demographic statistics on who becomes a Border Patrol
Agent:
16
As of July 2007, there were 12,967 Border Patrol Agents (as men-
tioned, President Bush announced a commitment to increase this
number to 18,000 by the end of 2008).
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Of those 12,967 agents, 693 were women, which is only 5.4% of the
Border Patrol force.
Here’s the demographic breakdown of those 693 women:
398 were Hispanic women
275 were Caucasian women
10 were African-American women
6 were Asian-American women
4 were Native American women
19.8% of officers in the Border Patrol are women; contrast this num-
ber to other federal agencies:
18.5% of FBI agents are women
13.3% of ATF agents are women
10.5% of Secret Service agents are women
Finally, Exhibit I-1 shows a breakdown of how many Border Patrol Agents
are assigned to each type of border.
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Introduction
EXHIBIT I-1. Number of Border Patrol Agents in Various U.S. Locations
as of 12/2008
(projected, increase increase
Location as of 9/2006 as of 3/07) in # in %
Southwest border 11,032 15,828 4,796 43
Northern border 919 1,975 1,056 115
Coastal border 153 205 52 34
Headquarters 119 185 66 55
Other offices within the CBP 126 126 0 0
Total 12,349 18,319 5,970* 48
*Total reduced by 30 agents to account for overhires in fiscal year 2006.
Source: Report prepared by Richard M. Stana, Director of Homeland Security and Justice Issues for
The Honorable Mike Rogers, Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee on Management, Inves-
tigations, and Oversight, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the House of Representatives:
GAO-07-540R Border Patrol Training: www.gao.gov/new.items/d07540r.pdf.
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STATISTICS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
TO THE UNITED STATES
The United States is, of course, a country of immigrants. The first settlers
came in the 1600s and 1700s, and the first great wave of immigration after
that was from 1815 to 1860, when 5 million people came to this fledgling
country. Approximately 150,000 people came in 1820 alone, bringing the
U.S. population to about 9.5 million people. (Compare that to the 2000
census count of the population of New York City, which was about 8.2 mil-
lion!) By 1880, the U.S. population had grown to more than 50 million, and
more than 5.2 million immigrants arrived between 1880 and 1890—which
brought the first laws restricting immigration, especially Chinese immigra-
tion (see Chapter 6 for details). Of course, those restrictions spawned a rise
in illegal immigration. By 1900, the U.S. population reached almost 76 mil-
lion, and the Mexican Revolution in 1910 caused thousands of Mexicans to
flee to the United States, in search of employment.
17
Fast-forward to the end of the twentieth century and here are just a few in-
teresting statistics about the rise in illegal immigration to the United States:
The number of illegal immigrants in the United States quadrupled
over the last 30 years:
1980: 3 million
1986: 4 million
1996: 5 million
2000: 8.4 million
18
2007: 12.4 million
19
The Pew Hispanic Center estimates that 850,000 illegal immigrants
have arrived in the United States every year since 2000.
20
The Pew Hispanic Center also reported the demographics of illegal
immigrants:
56% are Mexican
22% more come from other Latin American countries, mainly in
Central America
13% (approximately) are from Asia
6% are from Europe and Canada, combined
21
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Here’s a breakdown of the number of illegal immigrants, by state, as
of 2006
22
:
California: 2.8 million (25% of the total number of illegals)
Texas: 1.6 million (14% of the total number)
Florida: 980,000 (8% of the total number)
Illinois: 550,000 (5% of the total number)
New York: 540,000 (5% of the total)
The next five states with the highest percentages of illegal immi-
grants were Arizona, Georgia, New Jersey, North Carolina, and
Washington State.
In 2004, the Border Patrol stopped 1.1 million illegal immigrants from
entering the United States, but critics estimated that as many as 2 million
more slipped past agents because there weren’t enough Border Patrol Agents
to stop them.
23
KEY ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Since the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created following
the terrorist attacks in 2001, the Border Patrol has been part of the DHS. A
complete history of the Border Patrol is provided in Chapter 6, but here’s a
quick overview. DHS employees are responsible for protecting the territory
of the United States by
patrolling borders
protecting ports
defending the skies
enforcing immigration laws
responding to disasters and emergencies
In the first five years after it was created in 2003, the DHS has accomplished
many of its goals. Some of the highlights are listed in Exhibit I-2.
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So if you’re interested in becoming part of the U.S. Border Patrol,
turn to Chapter 1 to learn more about the profession itself, the work in-
volved, and the salary, benefits, and career path you can expect as a Bor-
der Patrol Agent.
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INTRODUCTION
EXHIBIT I-2. Key Achievements of the DHS from 2003 to 2008
Securing U.S. Borders
More than 302 miles of fencing have been built.
The number of Border Patrol Agents has increased from 10,500 (in 2003) to a
target of 18,000 by the end of 2008.
Screening Travelers
More than 2 million travelers per day are now screened.
Secure travel documents are now required.
More than 113 million foreign visitors’ fingerprints have been checked.
Twenty layers of screening are now performed.
Screening Ports and Cargos
More than 97% of inbound cargo is screened for radiation at U.S. seaports.
Protecting U.S. Infrastructure
National standards for chemical facility security and for chemicals in transit
have been established.
More than 200 actionable cyber alerts have been issued.
Enforcing immigration laws: more than 275,000 illegal aliens have been
removed.
More than 86,000 illegal migrants at sea have been interdicted.
Fines and judgments of more than $30 million have been secured against
employers who have violated immigration laws.
Responding to Disasters
More than 400 major disasters have been responded to.
More than 3.78 million individuals have been helped by the DHS.
Naturalizing Citizens
More than 2 million citizens have been naturalized between 2003 and 2006.
Countering Drug Smuggling
More than 7 million pounds of drugs have been seized.
More than 8,900 drug-smuggling arrests have been made on land and at sea.
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Becoming a
BORDER
PATROL
AGENT
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THE BASICS OF THE JOB: DUTIES, SALARY,
CAREER PATH, AND HIRING TIMELINE
NOW THAT you know a little more about the CBP and its mission,
about the minimum qualifications for the job and some statistics on who be-
comes a Border Patrol Agent, as well as some of the statistics on the prob-
lem of illegal immigration and contraband smuggling, this chapter provides
more information on what Border Patrol Agents actually do—in terms of
the job’s duties, responsibilities, and power and authority—so that you can
assess whether you think this job will be right for you. This chapter also
provides basic information on the salary, benefits, and career path of the job,
and provides information on how to find a Border Patrol recruiter if you’re
interested in talking to someone to get more specific information. Finally,
the chapter provides a timeline of the entire application and hiring
processes.
CHAPTER one
1
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WHY BECOME A BORDER PATROL AGENT?
Some agents are drawn to the job because it’s an opportunity for them to
use their military background and experience (as Chapter 3 describes in de-
tail). For example, one Border Patrol Agent said that he had been in the
Marine Corps for five-and-a-half years and felt that the situations he would
encounter would be similar and the transition from one job to the other
would be fairly easy.
1
Another Border Patrol Agent was in college studying
criminal justice (a path that’s described in Chapter 2), when he read about
opportunities with the Border Patrol. He liked the fact that he would be
working outdoors, that he could be near his family, and that the benefits
were very good.
2
One trainee who had just graduated from the Border Patrol Academy ap-
plied after working in Army intelligence, and as a state narcotics agent in
Mississippi. This new agent said he was attracted to the job because it would
provide a good salary and a better balance between his work and his family:
“I’m going to get a good paycheck out of this deal. I’m going to get my
good family time. When I was with state narcotics, I was never home, so this
kind of combines the best of all worlds.”
3
Another trainee said he was drawn to the Border Patrol by the opportu-
nity to work outdoors. He had been a home loan processor for a bank in
Phoenix, and one of his college professors informed him of the growing
work opportunities with federal law enforcement agencies. He said, “The
more I looked into it, the more I wanted to do that, get away from the
desk job.”
4
Another Agent was invited to apply by a Border Patrol recruiter who
thought he would be good for the job because he was a Mexican native who
had become a U.S. citizen, he had served in the U.S. Army, and he was al-
ready working at a detention center for another federal immigration agency.
This agent felt he would be a good fit for the Border Patrol because of the
discipline he had learned in the army and because of his deep understanding
of Mexican culture.
5
The job descriptions listed on government websites are typically very
straightforward. Exhibit 1-1 shows the beginning of a somewhat different
ad that appeared on hotjobs.com in October 2008.
2
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Although the Border Patrol may describe the job this way when recruiting,
it also faces challenges with retaining agents: as many as 30% of new agents
leave the job in the first 18 months. Why? Here’s another way of looking at
the same job description: “Law enforcement officers wanted: must work
graveyard shifts alone in remote towns along the Mexican border, put in
long hours, and perform well in triple-digit temperatures.”
6
The CBP rec-
ognizes this problem, but obviously there’s nothing it can do about the cli-
mate or terrain conditions, except to prepare applicants and trainees for
what to expect.
3
The Basics of the Job
EXHIBIT 1-1. Excerpt from an Ad for Border Patrol Agents
The United States Border—Protected by You!
As a U.S. Border Patrol Agent working on America’s Southwest border, you’ll work
with an amazing team of professionals protecting the country from terrorists,
WMD, drugs, criminals and unlawful border crossings in Arizona, California, New
Mexico, South Texas and West Texas.
The work is fun, challenging and critically important to national security. By
protecting the border you protect the entire nation. Once you’re accepted into the
Border Patrol, you’ll start with five months of rigorous Border Patrol Training in
Artesia, New Mexico, during which you’re on full salary with uniforms and
equipment provided. Once you graduate, you’ll head for your duty station, where a
field training officer will help teach you to apply what you learned in the
academy. Somewhere between a team and a family, the people you’ll work with
are dedicated to protecting the border and protecting each other. Here you will
feel like part of something important.
Border Patrol Agents are frequently on the move, and the work will challenge you
mentally and physically. Most of what you do will take place outdoors, either
hiking or in one kind of vehicle or another. Your powers of observation and
decision-making skills will get sharper every day. As you advance, you can train
for numerous assignments and other opportunities (i.e. canine, ATV, Horse Patrol,
academy instructor, etc.).
The most successful agents are the ones who reach for more. And the Border
Patrol provides ample chances for agents who want to move to prove themselves,
both in the field and the classroom.
See http://hotjobs.yahoo.com: search for Border Patrol Agent and Border Patrol jobs.
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WHAT BORDER PATROL AGENTS DO: AN OVERVIEW
Essentially, Border Patrol Agents monitor U.S. land borders, primarily in
Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California, which are the four states
where the U.S. borders Mexico, but also on the Northern border with
Canada and along the U.S. coastline and ports of entry. These borders span
a lot of miles:
7
There are 6,000 miles of Mexican and Canadian land borders (almost
2,000 of which is the Mexican border).
There are 2,000 miles of coastal waters surrounding the Florida
Peninsula and the island of Puerto Rico.
This is rigorous work, and you will need to know how to monitor a bor-
der, and how to drive in high-speed and off-road situations. You’ll need to
know about immigration law and government ethics to do your job effec-
tively, how to fire handguns and assault rifles, how to find cover in hostile
situations, how to make judgment calls on when to use deadly force, and
even how to search moving trains for stowaways.
Border Patrol Agents are part of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Agency; here’s how the CBP describes the key duties and responsibilities of
border patrol agents:
The primary focus of Border Patrol Agents is to work in tandem
with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) partners to pre-
vent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the United
States. Border Patrol Agents also detect and prevent the smug-
gling and unlawful entry of undocumented aliens into the United
States and apprehend people found to be in violation of U.S. im-
migration laws. Additionally, due to the increase in drug smug-
gling operations, they are the primary drug-interdicting agents
along the land borders.
8
The CBP goes on to describe one of the most important duties per-
formed by Border Patrol Agents, which is known as line-watch. This in-
4
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volves the detection and apprehension of undocumented aliens and their
smugglers. In other words, if you’re a Border Patrol Agent doing line-
watch, you may be doing all of the following:
maintaining surveillance from a covert position
pursuing leads
responding to electronic sensor alarms
utilizing infrared scopes during night operations
using low-light level television systems
sighting aircraft
interpreting and following tracks, marks, and other physical evidence
Border Patrol Agents also perform traffic checks, traffic observation, city
patrol transportation checks, and other administrative, intelligence, and
anti-smuggling activities (described in the next section of this chapter).
Border Patrol work entails many hazards, involving not only people, but
also vehicles, firearms, and various physical environments. Border Patrol
Agents must constantly be alert to hostile and unpredictable behavior by
people they have apprehended for suspected violations of immigration,
customs, or narcotics laws. Agents often deal with dangerous criminals who
are in the act of fleeing arrest or who are carrying narcotics or other con-
traband, and Border Patrol Agents must react instantly to threats of harm
to themselves and/or to others. Additionally, Border Patrol Agents often
need to operate automobiles in high-speed chases in order to try to stop
fleeing vehicles. Finally, Border Patrol Agents typically work in extreme
climates and extremely difficult terrains, both of which present hazardous
conditions.
ASSESSING WHETHER YOU WANT THE JOB
If this brief description sounds interesting to you, take the self-assessment
questionnaire shown in Exhibit 1-2. This is a series of questions the Trans-
portation Security Administration (TSA) offers on the following website:
www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/soar/bpa_self_assessment_tool.pdf.
5
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6
Becoming a BORDER PATROL AGENT
EXHIBIT 1-2. Self-Assessment Questionnaire for Prospective Border
Patrol Agent Applicants
First, ask yourself: “Would I enjoy...” YES NO
1. work that involves physical and mental challenges?
2. work that is adventuresome, exciting, and rewarding?
3. forming lifelong friendships with an elite group of people?
4. learning about and living in new and different cultures?
5. working in an organization known for its intense camaraderie
and loyalty?
6. working on a team?
7. working outdoors?
8. performing a job that protects the United States from threats to its
people and way of life—including terrorists, terrorist weapons, and
illegal drugs?
9. encountering and arresting illegal aliens and smugglers of aliens?
10. using a variety of high-tech equipment (such as night-vision goggles,
ATVs, unmanned aerial vehicles, aircraft, etc.) and weapons?
11. having a career that is more a way of life than a job?
Next, ask yourself: “Would I be willing to . . .” YES NO
1. work irregular and unscheduled hours and overtime, including shift
work, weekends, nights and holidays, and—at times—away from
my permanent duty station?
2. wear a prescribed uniform and conform to established grooming
standards?
3. attend a rigorous five-month physical and academic training
program that will be away from my current residence?
4. travel for conferences, training, or special operations?
5. execute orders or follow policies that may conflict with my
personal or religious beliefs?
6. encounter aliens suffering poverty or extreme hardship, or
carrying infectious diseases, or witness drowning, vehicle
accidents, and other tragedies?
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7
The Basics of the Job
EXHIBIT 1-2. Continued
YES NO
7. be exposed to all kinds of weather and environmental and
hazardous conditions even when wearing protective equipment?
8. work alone in remote areas for extended periods of time, including
throughout the night, when I may have limited communication risk
and be at high of danger?
9. live in remote locations that may have limited conveniences, such
as housing, schools, healthcare, and entertainment?
Finally, ask yourself: “Could I meet the following requirements . . .” YES NO
1. qualify with, carry, and maintain proficiency in the use of firearms?
2. never have been convicted of a crime of violence?
3. be able and willing to use deadly force (e.g., firearm) to protect
my life, the lives of fellow officers, or the lives of innocent
bystanders if I found myself in a life-threatening situation?
4. be able to engage in strenuous physical exertion, such as heavy
lifting, crouching or crawling in restricted areas, climbing, and
running?
5. by the time referred for selection, be a U.S. citizen (and have lived
in the United States for the last three years) with a valid driver’s
license and be under the age of 40 (unless I’m currently serving or
formerly served in a Federal civilian law enforcement
retirement-covered position)?
6. learn Spanish (if I don’t already know it)?
7. pass a security background check?
8. pass a medical/physical examination?
9. pass initial and random drug tests?
If you answered YES to most or all of the questions, that is a good indication
that becoming a Border Patrol Agent could be the right career for you.
If you answered NO to a lot of the questions, you should think carefully about
your decision at this time to apply for a BPA position. Fortunately, there are
other careers at the Department of Homeland Security that may be more to
your liking, so you may want to visit the Department’s website at
http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/carers/index.shtm.
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OBJECTIVES AND AUTHORITY OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS
The U.S. Border Patrol and the Agents who work for this agency have a
long list of objectives:
1. to detect and prevent aliens from entering the United States illegally
2. to detect and apprehend people who are smuggling aliens, narcotics,
and other contraband into the United States
3. to locate, identify, and apprehend aliens who are already illegally in
the United States
4. to apprehend Immigration Law violators, many of whom may be
U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents (in addition, Border Pa-
trol Agents can apprehend such violators with or without warrant)
5. to identify and establish factual information pertaining to fraudulent
claims of U.S. citizenship
6. to identify and apprehend people who produce, sell, or possess docu-
ments—whether the documents are counterfeit, fraudulent, or gen-
uine—that are purposefully being used to circumvent the laws of the
United States
7. to deal with alleged violators in any of the above situations by estab-
lishing a prima facie case (that is, a case that seems to be self-evident
from the facts provided) and to properly dispose of individual cases in
one of the following ways:
referring the alleged violator for a formal administrative hearing
detaining the alleged violator for further identification and in-
terrogation
detaining the alleged violator for criminal prosecution in Federal
court
referring the alleged violator for a formal deportation or exclusion
hearing
referring the case to another agency
releasing the alleged violator or arranging for voluntary departure
under safeguards, as appropriate
8. to prepare reports that are clear, concise, comprehensive, and accu-
rate—and to work to minimize errors in or omissions of factual mat-
ters used to prepare those reports
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9. to improve the effectiveness of Federal law enforcement when serv-
ing as a prosecution or expert witness in Federal court
To fulfill these obligations, Border Patrol Agents have specific power and
authority, which is very clearly described by the U.S. Office of Personnel
Management (OPM): see Exhibit 1-3.
9
The Basics of the Job
EXHIBIT 1-3. Power and Authority of Border Patrol Agents
After establishing probable cause and the presence of an articulable fact, (a fact
capable of being expressed clearly) Border Patrol Agents may, without warrant,
exercise judiciously the following powers:
1. interrogate any alien or person believed to be an alien about his or her right to
be in or remain in the United States
2. arrest any alien who, in their presence or view, is entering or attempting to
enter the United States in violation of law
3. arrest any alien in the United States in violation of law if there is likelihood of
escape before a warrant can be obtained
4. board vessels and other conveyances to search for aliens
5. enter private lands within a distance of 40 kilometers (25 miles) of any external
boundary for purposes of patrolling the borders of the United States to prevent
the illegal entry of aliens
6. make arrests for felonies which have been committed and which are cognizable
under any law regulating the admission, exclusion, or expulsion of aliens if
there is reason to believe the person is guilty of such felony and is likely to
escape before a warrant of arrest can be obtained
7. conduct a search of the person and of the personal effects in the possession of
any person seeking admission to the United States
Border Patrol Agents are also empowered to execute warrants and other processes
issued by any officer under laws regulating the admission, exclusion, or expulsion of
aliens. Furthermore, they are empowered to administer oaths and to take and
consider evidence concerning the privileges of any person to enter, re-enter, pass
through, or reside in the United States, or concerning any matter which is material
or relevant to the enforcement of the immigration and nationality laws and the
administration of the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Border Patrol Agents
are cross-designated to enforce Title 18 and Title 21 laws.
Source: “Position Classification Standard for Border Patrol Agent Series, GS-1896,” U.S. Office of
Personnel Management, page 6, www.opm.gov/fedclass/gs1896.pdf.
BPA_01_001-044.qxd:Becoming series 2/19/09 1:13 PM Page 9
BASIC DUTIES OF BORDER PATROL AGENTS
The OPM provides general information on the duties and responsibilities
of a Border Patrol Agent. These are described in the following sections.
9
International Boundary Security Control Operations. Here, you will be
working at or near a land border or a coastline. You will maintain a general
surveillance over your assigned area by observing the people and events in
that area and by questioning persons, if and when necessary. You may also lie
in (the U.S. government’s term) at selected strategic points along the border
you are watching, and you may intercept illegal entrants (who may then be
detained or expelled from the United States).
Sign Cutting. Here, you will also be working at or near a land border or
a coastline; however, this work requires you to visually detect and interpret
tracks, marks, and other physical evidence left by people, animals, or vehi-
cles, or other objects that have been moving through the area you are
watching. This work also involves identifying and apprehending illegal
aliens and smugglers of narcotics or other contraband who enter or pass
through the area you are watching.
Farm and Ranch Check. This work consists of systematically checking
farms, ranches, lumber camps, and other potential employers of laborers
and other unskilled or semi-skilled workers. You will be looking for illegal
aliens who have escaped detection at U.S. borders or who have violated
their immigration status, and if you find any, you will arrange for them to be
detained, deported, or depart voluntarily from the United States.
Traffic and Transportation Check. This work consists of establishing and
maintaining traffic checkpoints on roads or highways, in order to intercept
and inspect cars and trucks that may be transporting illegal aliens and smug-
glers from U.S. borders into the interior of the United States. It also involves
interrogating the occupants of these vehicles regarding their immigration
status in the United States—and this interrogation goes beyond just the
driver: you may also interrogate anyone already on board or who are board-
ing buses, trains, airplanes, or any other conveyance. In some areas of the
country, traditional traffic check activities have been eliminated or curtailed
by court actions, so you must know the laws that apply in the area you are
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watching, and you may need to secure and periodically justify and renew
warrants of inspection in order to continue your traffic check responsibilities.
City Patrol. This work involves looking for deportable aliens who are at-
tempting to assimilate into the community. To do this, you will systemati-
cally check local industries, businesses, hotels, rooming houses, construction
projects, camps, parks, jails, and other public institutions where deportable
aliens are likely to be working or living. This work is often coordinated with
other law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local level.
Boat Patrol. For this type of work, you will patrol coastal and other
boundary waters, looking for deportable aliens. You will need to operate var-
ious types of marine patrol craft to do so. You may board small boats, includ-
ing pleasure boats, commercial fishing, boats, shrimp boats, and tugboats.
Crew Control. Here, you will patrol waterfronts, to check for crew who
have been detained on ships, to search vessels to prevent desertion of crew; to
prevent stowaways from landing, and to locate and arrest any aliens who have
entered the U.S. illegally. To do this work effectively and successfully, you
need to establish and maintain good relationships with ships’ captains, agents,
shipyard and dock workers, and others who are knowledgeable about shipping
activities, ships’ crews, schedules, ports visited, and other related activities.
Remote Monitored Sensor System Operations. Here, you need to have
a thorough knowledge of the area to which you’ll be assigned, so that you
can implant and camouflage remote-monitored electronic sensors, in or-
der to detect and intercept aliens who are attempting to enter the United
States illegally.
Anti-Smuggling Operations. This work involves identifying and appre-
hending individuals or groups who are attempting to smuggle illegal aliens
into the United States (either for their own profit or not), or who are assist-
ing aliens to enter the country illegally, or the aliens themselves who are at-
tempting to enter illegally. In order to identify and apprehend these
individuals or groups, you may need to enlist, work with, and control confi-
dential informants.
Intelligence Operations. Here, you need to work with a wide variety of
sources, including both foreign and domestic contacts, to collect strategic
11
The Basics of the Job
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and tactical intelligence regarding the illegal entry or smuggling of aliens
into the United States. In addition to collecting this intelligence, you need
to refine, evaluate, and use it effectively. Your sources may include (but are
not limited to) the following:
other Border Patrol Agents
other Service personnel
Service reports
state and local law enforcement agencies
court officials
private citizens
schools
social agencies
civic groups
business groups
Liaison Activities. This work requires you to establish, maintain, and im-
prove productive liaisons with other law enforcement and administrative of-
ficials, at the federal, state, and local levels and even in foreign agencies. As
necessary, you may lead or participate in cooperative coordinated activities,
such as checks or raids in areas where illegal aliens gather or reside.
ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND ABILITIES
To perform all the duties and responsibilities just described, Border Patrol
Agents need good judgment and various skills and abilities. Specifically, as a
Border Patrol Agent, you need to be able to do all of the following:
work effectively with informants who can provide you with necessary
information regarding illegal aliens or smugglers, by developing rela-
tionships with informants, evaluating their trustworthiness and relia-
bility, and using their services advantageously
interrogate witnesses
search records
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perform surveillance
follow up on information provided by others (including informants
and other law enforcement officers)
know and be able to speak a foreign language (as noted, proficient to
fluent Spanish is required for all Border Patrol Agents: requirements
for fluency depends on the level of Border Patrol Agent—GS-5
agents are often just starting to learn and study Spanish, whereas GS-
9 agents need to be completely fluent)
understand foreign cultures and customs
interact effectively with people from all walks of life, including those
of different cultural backgrounds
use (and maintain through proper care of) a variety of electronic
equipment, including:
two-way radios
night scopes
remote-monitored sensor systems, which are used to detect and
intercept aliens who are entering the United States illegally
operate two- and four-wheel-drive vehicles, as well as other types of
mobile equipment (this is why all Border Patrol Agents must have a
valid driver’s license; also, as noted above, some Border Patrol Agents
conduct boat patrol, which requires them to be able to operate vari-
ous types of marine craft)
Chapter 2 provides details on the skills and abilities you need to succeed as a
Border Patrol Agent.
SALARY AND BENEFITS
The annual salary of an entry-level Border Patrol Agent ranges from
$36,500 to $46,500, depending on the level at which you enter; there are
three possibilities, depending on your qualifications:
At the GS-5 level, the annual salary is $36,658 (or higher, depending
on the location of the position).
13
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At the GS-7 level, the annual salary is $41,729 (or higher, depending
on the location of the position).
At the GS-9 level, the annual salary is $46,542 (or higher, depending
on the location of the position).
You can advance from a GS-5 or a GS-7 or a GS-9 entry-level position to
the GS-11 full-performance level without having to reapply, and the annual
salary for a GS-11 position starts at $54,494. Moreover, once you reach the
GS-11 level—which can take as little as three years—you can earn as much
as $70,000 per year (including overtime, holiday, and night pay).
Border Patrol Agents receive annual increases in salary, and there is
additional compensation (from 10% to 25%) for overtime work. Also,
Border Patrol Agents receive a uniform allowance (of $1500) to offset the
cost of purchasing the required BPA uniform. The funds are deposited
into an account that each agent draws from when purchasing the uni-
form. Interestingly, the Border Patrol uniform changed in 2007: since the
1950s, the uniform had been more like a police officer’s uniform, but in
August 2007, the uniform was changed to look more like military fa-
tigues. It now consists of lightweight cargo pants, nylon belts (instead of
leather) with quick-release plastic buckles (instead of brass buckles). Also,
there are two large pockets with Velcro flaps that can hold MREs (meals
ready to eat), flashlight batteries, and GPS devices. The identifying
patches (badges and nameplates) are now sewn onto the uniform, replac-
ing the pins formerly used, which often fell off and which shone in the
moonlight or other lights, making it difficult for agents to stay under-
cover. The uniform was changed to make it more appropriate and more
operational, more tactical for the rugged terrain in which Border Patrol
Agents typically work—remote mountains and deserts—and in the ex-
treme heat climate conditions.
10
Border Patrol Agents receive the following benefits:
personal leave days for vacation, illness, and family care
a wide range of health insurance programs
life insurance
longterm care insurance
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flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket medical expenses or the
costs of taking care of a dependent child or parent
a retirement plan that includes a 401(k) thrift savings plan
Border patrol agents may voluntarily retire at any age after completing 25
years of service or at age 50 or older with 20 years of service. The manda-
tory retirement age is 57 with 20 years of service. However, if you have
fewer than 20 years of service by age 57, you may work beyond the age of 57
and retire when you meet the combination of age and service require-
ments—although since you need to be under the age of 40 when you apply,
this will likely be only another three years, unless the law changes during
the years you are working.
WHAT YOUR CAREER PATH MIGHT LOOK LIKE
There are several levels of Border Patrol Agent, including the GS-5, GS-7,
GS-9, GS-11, and higher levels that come with promotions once on the job.
In general, Border Patrol Agents receive promotions from one GS level to
the next after performing satisfactorily for one year at each grade level.
There is a two-year intern program that serves as your probationary period
after you become a Border Patrol Agent. The following sections describe
the differences between each grade level.
If you do not have the work experience described in each of the follow-
ing sections, you can still qualify to become a Border Patrol Agent at the
GS-5 level, provided you have four academic years above high school
leading to a bachelor’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree from an accredited
college. And you may qualify at the GS-7 level if you have at least one full
year of graduate education in law or in a field related to law enforcement,
such as criminal justice or police science; you may also qualify at the GS-7
level if you meet the provisions of Superior Academic Achievement
(SAA); see http://www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp for more
detailed information on SAA.
11
Also, see Appendixes A and B for a com-
plete list all U.S. accredited colleges offering criminal justice and law-
enforcement programs.
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Your grade level will be determined based on the information provided in
your application. However, note that if you are offered and accept a position
as a BPA at the GS-5 or GS-7 level, your grade level cannot be changed after you
have entered on duty.
GS-5 Level. This is the entry level for Border Patrol Agents. In other
words, you are a trainee. To qualify at this level, you must have a substantial
background of work experience, and at least one year of that experience
must have been comparable in level of difficulty and responsibility to grade
GS-4 in the Federal service. Essentially, that means you must be able to do
all three of the following:
1. take charge, make sound decisions, and maintain composure in stress-
ful situations
2. learn law-enforcement regulations, methods, and techniques through
classroom training and/or on-the-job instruction
3. gather factual information through questioning, observation, and ex-
amination of documents and records.
12
If you are hired at the GS-5 level, you will receive formal classroom training
and on-the-job experience in order to
familiarize you with immigration and nationality laws and related
rules and regulations
familiarize you with the statutory authority of Border Patrol Agents
familiarize you with other activities relevant to immigration law en-
forcement
provide orientation on the program, policies, and procedures of the
CBP, as well as its management and operational activities
become proficient in the Spanish language
perform such duties as sign cutting, city patrol, traffic check, and
others.
13
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the annual salary at the GS-5 level starts
at $36,658 (or higher, depending on the location to which you are assigned).
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GS-7 Level. To qualify at this level, you need to have one year of law-en-
forcement experience comparable in level of difficulty and responsibility to
the GS-5 level in the Federal service. You must demonstrate the ability to
do all four of the following:
1. make arrests and exercise sound judgment in the use of firearms
2. deal effectively with individuals or groups of persons in a courteous,
tactful manner in connection with law-enforcement matters
3. analyze information rapidly and make prompt decisions or take
prompt and appropriate law-enforcement action in light of applicable
laws, court decisions, and sound law-enforcement matters
4. develop and maintain contact with a network of informants.
14
If you are hired or promoted to work at the GS-7 level, your duties will
include enforcing the immigration and nationality laws. You will also appre-
hend violators of these and other related laws within the jurisdiction of the
CBP. At this job level, here is essentially what you will do:
You will detect individuals suspected of violating immigration laws,
by following up on leads, personally observing people, and using
other means. You will also question these people and inspect their
documents to determine either their U.S. citizenship or their alien
status, using Spanish, as needed, to communicate.
You will search for persons in vehicles, buildings, and outdoor areas,
and observe and interpret physical signs of illegal entry into the
United States.
You will apprehend and search violators, question them and others
involved (such as witnesses), and recommend to your team leader or
supervisor that suspect(s) be held for further questioning or if
he/she/they should be returned immediately to the country of origin.
You will write reports concerning apprehensions, interrogations, and
other activities relevant to immigrant law enforcement.
15
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the annual salary at the GS-7 level starts
at $41,729 (or higher, depending on the location to which you are assigned).
17
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BPA_01_001-044.qxd:Becoming series 2/19/09 1:13 PM Page 17
GS-9 Level. To qualify at this level, your experience must include the fol-
lowing tasks:
1. develop cases and conduct interviews or interrogations, apprehensions,
and arrests in order to further the process or cease development
2. prepare cases and appear as a professional witness in court
3. exercise sound judgment in the use of firearms and conduct training,
qualification exercises, or courses in the proper care and use of firearms
4. deal effectively with individuals or groups of persons in a courteous and
tactful manner in their detention, control, or interrogation, and work to
promote effective community outreach programs and public relations
5. analyze and disseminate intelligence information and data rapidly, and
apply a practical knowledge of the laws, concepts, operational prac-
tices, and law-enforcement methods and techniques in order to inde-
pendently perform duties typically encountered in law enforcement
6. develop and maintain contact with a network of informants, social
and political organizations, state and local enforcement agencies, and
private citizens, to ensure continuity of enforcement work and to
carry out enforcement responsibilities
7. use a variety of law-enforcement databases and information retrieval
systems, such as TECS, NCIC, and NEXUS (these are discussed in
more detail in Chapter 4)
8. prepare reports and write other documents that deal with the collec-
tion, protection, and recording of evidence, the presentation of testi-
mony, and the retention of informational materials concerning illegal
activities and practices encountered during daily activities.
16
Once you are working at the GS-9 level, you will be performing the full
range of Border Patrol duties independently. In other words, you will be re-
sponsible for all of the following tasks.
You will work alone or as a member of a team to perform a variety
of typical duties, including these (described in detail earlier in this
chapter):
sign cutting
farm and ranch check
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traffic check
transportation check
city patrol
boat patrol
crew control
international boundary security operations
You will develop and use information from a variety of sources (in-
cluding informants, state and local law-enforcement agencies, social
and political organizations, and private citizens) to apprehend smug-
glers—that is, persons who for gain assist aliens to enter the United
States illegally and transport them to interior centers of population.
You will identify individuals suspected of violating immigration laws,
by following up on leads, by personal observation of persons, and by
other means. You will also question these persons and inspect their
documents to determine their citizenship or alien status, using Span-
ish as needed to communicate. You will determine their country of
origin.
You will apprehend and search violators and question them and oth-
ers involved (such as witnesses). You will transport suspects to head-
quarters for further questioning, or you will arrange for their return
to their country of origin. You will also prepare reports regarding
these apprehensions, interrogations, and other related matters.
You will use remote-monitored sensor systems and other electronic
equipment (such as a nightscope) to detect and identify aliens or
other persons who are entering the United States illegally.
17
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the annual salary at the GS-9 level
starts at $46,542 (or higher, depending on the location to which you are
assigned).
GS-11 Level. At this level, you will be responsible for operating and co-
ordinating an intelligence program and for providing advance intelligence
information about attempts of persons to enter the United States illegally
(including alien smuggling), throughout an assigned area, typically an entire
sector (see Exhibit 1-5, at the end of this chapter, for a map of all 20 Border
Patrol sectors). This work involves the following responsibilities.
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You will collect intelligence information continuously, from a wide
variety of sources, including these:
informants in the local area and in neighboring countries
reports from Border Patrol Agents throughout your assigned area
sources in other Border Patrol sectors
sources in other law-enforcement agencies
court officials
schools
welfare agencies
civic and business groups
You will evaluate this intelligence information and prepare reports iden-
tifying trends and patterns in activities relating to illegal actions of aliens.
You will use intelligence information to prepare forecasts of smug-
gling activities and illegal entries, and you will recommend action to
counteract and apprehend violators.
You will work in conjunction with anti-smuggling agents, as neces-
sary, and provide expertise on fraudulent documents and other intelli-
gence information to be used in developing smuggling cases.
You will provide authoritative information concerning the types of
counterfeit documents used in conjunction with illegal alien activities,
including methods of detection, sources, and patterns of usage and
distribution. You will also maintain current and complete indexes of
smugglers
smuggling activities and methods
informants and other sources of information
vendors of counterfeit and altered documents and their activities
and methods of operation
public and private airstrips
You will coordinate the intelligence work of other Border Patrol
Agents within your assigned area, and you will train and orient lower-
grade agents, as required.
You will prepare reports concerning apprehensions, interrogations,
and other pertinent matters.
18
As mentioned earlier in this chapter, the annual salary for a GS-11 position
starts at $54,494.
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HOW TO LOCATE A BORDER PATROL RECRUITER
If you are interested in talking to someone about applying to become a Bor-
der Patrol Agent, or if you have questions about any aspect of the applica-
tion process or the work itself, you can contact a Border Patrol recruiter.
Exhibit 1-4 lists all of the sector offices of the Border Patrol Agency, the city
and state where each is located, and phone numbers for all (and e-mail ad-
dresses for some offices). Exhibit 1-5 is a map of all 20 sector offices com-
prising the Office of Border Patrol.
21
The Basics of the Job
EXHIBIT 1-4. Contact Information for Border Patrol Recruiters
Sector Office Location Contact Information
Blaine Sector Blaine, WA 360-332-1610
Buffalo Sector Grand Island, NY 1-866-775-6270
bunrecruitin[email protected]ov
Del Rio Sector Del Rio, TX 1-888-590-2559
El Centro Sector El Centro, CA 760-335-5900
El Paso Sector El Paso, TX 915-834-8848
Grand Forks Sector Grand Forks, ND 701-775-6654
Havre Sector Havre, MT montanaborderpatrol@dhs.gov
Houlton Sector Houlton, ME 1-866-231-5434
Laredo Sector Laredo, TX 956-764-3676
Marfa Sector Marfa, TX 432-837-6120
1-888-536-6204
Rio Grande Valley Sector Edinburg, TX 956-289-4800
Miami Sector Miami, FL 954-965-6300
(Continued)
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22
Becoming a BORDER PATROL AGENT
EXHIBIT 1-4. Continued
Sector Office Location Contact Information
New Orleans Sector New Orleans, LA 504-376-2800
Ramey Sector Aquadilla, PR 787-882-3561 ext. 2121
787-882-3562 ext. 2119
San Diego Sector San Diego, CA 619-216-4211
Spokane Sector Spokane, WA 509-353-2747
ProtectU[email protected]ov
Swanton Sector Swanton, VT 1-866-240-8354
802-868-5167
Tucson Sector Tucson, AZ 520-748-3191
Yuma Sector Yuma, AZ 928-341-6519
From www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/caeers/customs_careers/border_careers/bp_agent/border_pocs.xml.
EXHIBIT 1-5. Map of the 20 Sectors Comprising the Office of Border Patrol
From www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/bp_agent/
sectors_map.ctt/Sectors_Map.pdf.
BPA_01_001-044.qxd:Becoming series 2/19/09 1:13 PM Page 22
AN OVERVIEW AND TIMELINE OF THE
APPLICATION AND HIRING PROCESS
It can take five to eight months from the time you apply for a position as
Border Patrol Agent to the time when you’re hired and depart for your
training at the U.S. Border Patrol Academy. Here’s an overview and a time-
line of the hiring process.
Step 1: Apply via the Internet. Chapter 4 describes the online appli-
cation process in detail and provides the web site URL for applying.
Timeframe: Any time. You can apply online 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week, whenever you have access to a computer and the Internet.
Step 2: Schedule your written test. You will be asked to do this
while you are completing the online application, and the system will
offer you three choices of dates on which to take the written exam.
Choose a date, and you’re all set.
Timeframe: This date should be three to eight weeks from the
date you are applying online. You may want to schedule the test as
late as possible, to give yourself more time to prepare for the written
test, which is the next step in the application and hiring process.
Step 3: Prepare for the written test. Chapter 5 describes the three
tests that comprise the U.S. Border Patrol Agent test (a logical rea-
soning test, which all applicants take; and either a Spanish Language
Proficiency Test or an Artificial Language Test: depending on your
command of Spanish, you will take one or the other of these). Chap-
ter 5 also describes the type of questions you will be asked, and refers
you to other sources, publications, books, and websites that can pro-
vide you with additional guidance on the test, including practice
questions with correct answers and explanations of the correct answer
and why the other response choices are incorrect.
Timeframe: As much time as you have available to prepare for the
test, in the weeks before you are scheduled to take it.
Step 4: Wait for the results of your written test. Some test loca-
tions are compressed testing locations (see Chapter 4 for details), where
applicants can receive their Notice of Results (NOR) from the writ-
ten test immediately. If you do not take the written test at one of
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these compressed testing locations, you will receive your NOR in the
mail within approximately two weeks after you take the written test.
The NOR will tell you whether or not you passed the written test.
Timeframe: Either the same day you take the test (for compressed
testing) or within about two weeks afterward (for all other testing).
Step 5: Schedule your oral interview and fitness and medical
tests. If you pass the written test, you will also receive at that time a
tentative selection packet of information. You will also be scheduled
for an oral board interview and for your fitness and medical tests
(both of which are described in detail in Chapter 4).
Timeframe: Four to ten weeks. If you take the written test at a
compressed testing location, you will receive your tentative selection
packet the same day on which you are tested, and your oral board in-
terview and your fitness and medical tests will be scheduled within
the next four weeks. On the other hand, if you take the written test at
one of the other nationwide locations that does not offer compressed
testing, you will receive your tentative selection packet approximately
six weeks from the date you passed your written test, and your fitness
and medical tests and oral board interview will be scheduled within
four weeks from that time. For example,
if you take the test at a regular testing location on October 1,
you may receive your tentative selection packet on November 15,
and you may be scheduled for an oral board interview and your fit-
ness and medical tests on December 15.
Step 6: Attend your scheduled oral board interview. The oral
board interview is given by three Border Patrol Agents. The inter-
view does not test or require any technical knowledge; instead, it con-
sists of situational questions that are intended to assess your judgment
and decision making, your emotional maturity, your interpersonal
skills, and your cooperativeness and sensitivity to the needs of oth-
ers—all of which are qualities that are critical to successful perform-
ance as a Border Patrol Agent. The oral board interview is rated on a
pass or fail basis, and you must receive a pass in all areas in order to
continue to be considered in the hiring process.
Timeframe: Within four to six weeks after receiving your tenta-
tive selection packet.
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Step 7: Schedule and complete all other tests. If you pass the oral
board interview, you must undergo the following:
a drug test
a medical examination
the fitness test (see Chapter 4 for details on the fitness test)
a background investigation
Timeframe: These will be scheduled and completed as soon as
possible.
Step 8: Start work—as soon as a position becomes available. If
you successfully complete all of the above steps and tests, your name
will be placed in a pipeline for a position as vacancies become avail-
able in your preferred geographic location (which you indicated dur-
ing the online application process in Step 1; see Chapter 4 for
details). At that time, you will receive a firm offer of employment.
Timeframe: As soon as a position becomes available.
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27
CHAPTER 1 provided the basic information about the minimum re-
quirements you need even to be considered for a job as a Border Patrol
Agent, and it described what you’ll be doing if you get the job. This chapter
describes the specific skills, physical abilities, and education you need for
the job, as well as the education and training you will receive at the Border
Patrol Academy. Keep in mind, though, how one senior agent has described
the work: “It’s a hard job to get and a hard job to keep and we want it that
way,” according to Robert W. Gilbert, the Chief of the Border Patrol’s Tuc-
son Sector.
1
THE SKILLS, PHYSICAL ABILITIES,
AND EDUCATION YOU NEED
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28
Becoming a BORDER PATROL AGENT
REQUIRED SKILLS: AN OVERVIEW
Border Patrol Agents are required to have certain competencies, in five ma-
jor areas:
1. thinking skills
2. personal characteristics
3. interacting with others
4. work management skills
5. physical and psychomotor skills
Exhibit 2-1 provides an overview of these skills, and the first part of this
chapter provides a detailed look at what’s required for each area.
EXHIBIT 2-1. Skills Required to Become a Border Patrol Agent
Thinking Skills
1. reasoning skills
2. decision-making skills
3. problem-solving skills
4. judgment
5. learning
6. reading
Personal Characteristics
7. conscientiousness
8. integrity/honesty
9. emotional maturity
10. cooperativeness/sensitivity to the needs of others
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The Skills, Physical Abilities, and Education You Need
EXHIBIT 2-1. Continued
11. self-presentation
12. flexibility
Interacting with Others
13. writing
14. oral communication and listening
15. leadership
16. teaching others
17. negotiating
18. teamwork
Work Management Skills
19. technology application
20. organizational and community awareness
21. managing and organizing information
22. self-management
23. managing resources
24. managing human resources
25. planning and evaluating
Physical and Psychomotor Skills
26. eye–hand coordination
27. physical strength and agility
28. stamina
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THINKING SKILLS
Border Patrol Agents need to have certain types of thinking skills, which the
U.S. government breaks down into the following six skill sets.
1. Reasoning Skills. You need to be able to discover or select rules,
principles, or relationships between facts and other information. You
also need to be able to draw correct inferences from available infor-
mation. And you need to be able to understand the relationships be-
tween related statements and draw the appropriate conclusions.
2. Decision-Making Skills. You also need to make sound and well-
informed decisions, and to perceive the impact and implications of
your decisions and other people’s decisions. You need to be able to
commit to action in uncertain situations in order to accomplish orga-
nizational goals. And you need to be able to effect change.
3. Problem-Solving Skills. You need to be able to identify and analyze
problems. You need to be able to gather, interpret, and evaluate infor-
mation in order to determine whether it is accurate and relevant to
the situation you’re facing. And you need to be able to use sound
judgment to generate and evaluate alternatives and to recommend a
solution to the problem you’re facing.
4. Judgment. You need to be able to make sound decisions in situations
when multiple options are available. And you need to use common
sense to avoid actions that could put you or others in danger.
5. Learning. You need to be able to use efficient learning techniques to
acquire and apply new knowledge and skills. And you need to know
how to use your training, feedback, or other opportunities for self-
learning and development.
6. Reading. You need to be able to understand, interpret, and learn from
written material, including rules, regulations, instructions, and re-
ports. And you need to be able to apply the knowledge you’ve gained
from that written material to specific situations in the field.
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PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS
In addition to all of the above thinking skills, Border Patrol Agents are re-
quired to have certain personal characteristics, which the U.S. government
contextually considers skills. These include the following six traits:
1. Conscientiousness. You need to display behavior that is dependable,
organized, careful, and thoughtful, with great attention to detail and
follow-through. You also need to display a high level of effort and
commitment towards completing your work assignments.
2. Integrity and Honesty. You need to display high standards of ethical
conduct, avoid even the appearance of impropriety, and be trustwor-
thy in all work situations.
3. Emotional Maturity. You need to maintain self-control and approach
potentially volatile situations, events, and people in a calm, profes-
sional manner.
4. Cooperativeness and Sensitivity to the Needs of Others. You need to
collaborate effectively with others, you need to provide assistance—
without hesitation—to people in need, you need to be sensitive to
other cultures, and you need to have a genuine concern for others
and their well-being.
5. Self-Presentation. You need to believe in your own self-worth, main-
tain an appropriate level of self-confidence, and display a professional
image both on and off duty.
6. Flexibility. You need to be flexible. This means you must be open to
change and new information. Also, you need to be able to adapt your
behavior and work methods in response to new information, chang-
ing conditions, or unexpected obstacles. And they need to be able to
deal effectively with ambiguity, because not all situations will be clear
in terms of who or what is right or wrong.
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INTERACTING WITH OTHERS
Six skills are required in this area of competency.
1. Writing. You need to use correct English grammar, punctuation, and
spelling so that you can communicate facts, ideas, and messages in a
succinct and organized manner. You also need to be able to write ef-
fectively and appropriately for your intended readers, who may be
judges, U.S. attorneys, lawyers, and high-level politicians.
2. Oral Communication and Listening. You need to be able to express
your ideas and facts to individuals or groups effectively, and you need
to take into account the specific audience you’re addressing and the
nature of the information you’re providing (because different audi-
ences may require different approaches). In addition, you need to be
able to speak clearly and articulate well. You need to be able to facili-
tate the open exchange of ideas. And you need to receive, attend to,
interpret, and respond not only to verbal messages but also to other
cues, such as body language.
3. Leadership. You need to be able to interact with others to influence,
motivate, and challenge. You also need to set an example for others to
follow, through you own personal conduct, professional appearance,
and technical or administrative knowledge.
4. Teaching Others. You need to be able to help others to learn, and you
need to identify others’ training needs. You must provide constructive
reinforcement (as opposed to negative feedback). You need to coach
others so they can learn how to perform various tasks. And you need
to be able to act as a mentor or source of information for others.
5. Negotiating. You need to work with others toward a mutually accept-
able agreement that may involve exchanging specific resources or re-
solving differences. Therefore, you need to be able to build consensus
through give-and-take.
6. Teamwork. You need to encourage and facilitate cooperation, pride,
trust, and group identity. You also need to foster commitment and
team spirit. In general, you need to be able to work with others to
achieve your goals.
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WORK MANAGEMENT SKILLS
The U.S. government has identified seven core skill sets that pertain to how
well you manage your work.
1. Technology Application. You must be able to integrate technology—
for example, computers—into the workplace, and you need to be able
to use computers and computer applications to analyze data and com-
municate information. In addition, you need to be able to use tech-
nology in general to work more efficiently and to improve your work
processes and products. There are courses available to help you with
the most commonly used computer applications—specifically, Excel
spreadsheets, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Outlook, and the Windows
XP operating system.
2. Organizational and Community Awareness. This skill requires that
you know how social, political, organizational, and technological sys-
tems work—and you need to be able to operate effectively within
these systems. This also includes the policies, procedures, rules, and
regulations not only of the specific agency you work for but also of
the larger external environment in which you’ll be working.
3. Managing and Organizing Information. You must be able to iden-
tify the need for information and then gather, organize, and maintain
that information. You also need to be able to determine the impor-
tance and accuracy of the information, and be able to communicate it
by a variety of methods.
4. Self-Management. You must be able to set well-defined and realistic
personal goals for yourself, monitor your progress and be motivated
to achieve, and manage your own time and deal with stress effectively.
5. Managing Resources. You need to be able to select, acquire, store,
and distribute a variety of resources, including materials, equipment,
and money. To do this effectively, you need to understand agency
procurement regulations and budgeting and funding procedures.
6. Managing Human Resources. You must be able to plan, distribute,
and monitor work assignments. You also need to ensure that employ-
ees are selected for and assigned to job tasks appropriately. You must
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be able to perform personnel actions on subordinates and you need to
be able to evaluate the work of employees and provide feedback on
their performance.
7. Planning and Evaluating. You must be able to organize your work,
set priorities, and determine what resources are required. You need to
be able to determine your objectives and the strategies to achieve or-
ganizational goals. And you need to monitor and evaluate your
progress against your goals.
PHYSICAL AND PSYCHOMOTOR SKILLS
Finally, the U.S. government requires Border Patrol Agents to have the fol-
lowing three physical and psychomotor skills.
1. Eye–Hand Coordination. You must be able to coordinate your eye
movement with your fingers, wrists, or arms in order to move, carry,
or manipulate objects or to perform other job-related tasks—such as
using a firearm.
2. Physical Strength and Agility. You must be able to bend, lift, climb,
and walk for long periods of time, and you must be able to perform
physical work with ease.
3. Stamina. You must be able to perform repetitive or strenuous tasks
for a long period of time.
The next two sections of this chapter provide more detailed information
on the fitness requirements for being a Border Patrol Agent.
PRE-EMPLOYMENT FITNESS TESTING
The Border Patrol Agent position is a physically demanding law-enforcement
position. Agents need to be able to perform strenuous duties under rigorous
environmental conditions. For example, some physically challenging tasks
of this occupation include
pursuing and apprehending suspects
walking and running long distances
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climbing and jumping
moderate to heavy lifting
swimming
These duties require physical stamina, upper- and lower-body endurance,
and the ability to hold and operate various firearms for extended periods of
time. Therefore, you must pass certain pre-employment fitness tests in or-
der to be considered for a position as a Border Patrol Agent; you will take
more fitness tests upon entering the Border Patrol Academy; and the Acad-
emy program includes further physical training programs considered to be
among the most rigorous in the profession.
The pre-employment fitness test will be administered at the same time
and location as your medical examination (which is described in detail in
Chapter 4). The fitness test consists of three components, and you must pass
all three tests; each test must be successfully completed before you can move
on to the next test. Testing stops if you fail one of the three tests; moreover,
failure on any one of the three tests means that you will not be hired for a
Border Patrol Agent position, and no retesting is allowed. However, if you
fail and subsequently improve your level of physical fitness, you can reapply
for the Border Patrol Agent position under future vacancy announcements
(in other words, you need to start your application process all over).
During the pre-employment fitness test, you will be required to do all of
the following, in this sequence:
1. Perform 20 pushups in 60 seconds, using the proper form. The depth
of the pushup will be measured by using a 4-inch-high foam block:
your sternum (breastbone) must touch the foam block on each
pushup. The test administrator will evaluate your form during the test
and will count how many pushups you have done. If your pushups are
not done in proper form, those pushups will not count, though you
may continue to do pushups until the 60 seconds are over.
2. Perform 25 situps in 60 seconds, using the proper form. Your in-
structor will hold your feet during these situps. There should be an
18- to 24-inch separation from your heels and buttocks. Although
situps done incorrectly don’t count, you may continue to do situps
until the 60 seconds are over.
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3. Complete a 5-minute step test, stepping onto and off of a 12-inch
bench, at a rate of 120–125 steps per minute. This is a cardiovascular
endurance test.
Failure of any of these three tests stops the pre-employment fitness test.
There will be a 3-minute rest period between each test. During this time,
you will be shown how to perform the next exercise.
For a detailed explanation of the proper form for each of these
three tests, go to: http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_
careers/border_careers/fitness_requirements. This URL links to
a 17-minute audio presentation that describes each test in detail
and then gives you time to practice each test as it will actually be
administered.
Additionally, you can find written details of the exercises, with pictures
showing the proper form for each exercise, at the following website: http://
www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/
fitness_requirements/bp_agent_fit.ctt/bp_agent_fit.pdf.
Essentially, these three fitness tests measure your ability to move quickly
with balance; your upper and lower body strength; and your aerobic capac-
ity and endurance. If you are currently out of shape and not regularly exer-
cising, you may want to consult your doctor or healthcare provider
regarding a progressive exercise program that can help you prepare and get
in shape for these tests. Your training regimen should include aerobic
weight-bearing activities such as stepping, brisk walking, jogging, running,
pushups, and situps.
Also, here are a few suggestions for the test day:
1. Avoid heavy physical exercise for 48 hours prior to test day.
2. Do not eat a large meal within two hours of testing.
3. Do not smoke or drink caffeine on the test day.
4. Practice is provided before the step test.
Successful completion of these three tests is really only the first step to being
in shape: you must keep yourself in top physical condition from now on to
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ensure that you can successfully complete the rigorous requirements of the
U.S. Border Patrol Academy and perform the duties of a Border Patrol Agent.
FITNESS TESTS AND TRAINING AT
THE BORDER PATROL ACADEMY
If you pass all the required tests to become a Border Patrol Agent, you will
then enter the Border Patrol Academy, where you will perform the follow-
ing fitness tests:
1. Pushups: you need to do as many as you can in 60 seconds.
2. Situps: you need to do as many as you can in 60 seconds.
3. Pullups: you need to do as many as you can, though there is no time
limit for pullups.
4. Running: you need to run 1.5 miles as fast as you can.
Finally, as mentioned, the 19-week course of training at the Academy also
includes physical training and physical standards tests (discussed later in this
chapter).
EDUCATION
You do not need any specialized education to become a Border Patrol
Agent, but you do need to have either a bachelor’s degree from an accred-
ited four-year college, or some relevant work experience that exposed you to
work in stressful situations where you had to make quick decisions—for ex-
ample, in law enforcement or the military—or some combination of college
education and relevant work experience. If you have (or if you are planning
to get) your bachelor’s degree, it can be in any major—anything from mar-
keting to history, political science, business administration, accounting, eco-
nomics, psychology—again, anything. Also, as described in Chapter 1, if
you have at least one full year of graduate education in law or in a field re-
lated to law enforcement, such as criminal justice or police science, you may
qualify to be hired at the GS-7 level.
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If you don’t have a college degree, and you’re thinking long term and
want to get your bachelor’s degree before applying for a job as a Border Pa-
trol Agent, you might consider getting a bachelor’s degree in criminal jus-
tice. Fortunately, there are many institutions that offer accredited criminal
justice degree programs. See Appendixes A and B for details.
THE CBP BORDER PATROL ACADEMY
If you’re hired as a Border Patrol Agent, your first assignment will be to
complete the 19-week training course at the Border Patrol Academy in
Artesia, New Mexico, about 40 miles southwest of Roswell. This training
center is on the site of the former Artesia Christian College, which the U.S.
government purchased in June of 1989. It comprises 220 acres in the north-
west section of the city of Artesia (population 14,000).
New recruits enter the Border Patrol Academy in groups of 50, and one
or two groups enter each week. If you’re hired and become part of one of
these groups, you will attend classes eight hours a day on weekdays, and you
will spend your weekends studying and preparing in other ways for the
coming week.
2
Training at the Border Patrol Academy is considered to be one of the
most difficult in federal law enforcement, and you must maintain, on an on-
going basis, a passing score in all of the following courses of instruction in
order to be retained:
law courses
Spanish-language training
Border Patrol operations
firearms training
physical training
driver training
The physical training at the Border Patrol Academy is about equal to Army
basic training, according to one Border Patrol agent who was an Army vet-
eran who then obtained his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice. However,
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this agent also admitted that it’s a lot more academically challenging, not to men-
tion that we all have to be proficient in Spanish when we graduate.
3
The next sections look at each of these courses in more detail.
Law Courses. The Border Patrol Academy law program consists of four
separate courses.
1. Nationality Law: in this course, you will be taught how to determine
the citizenship status of someone you are questioning, in order to dis-
cover whether that person is an alien, a U.S. citizen, or a U.S. national.
2. Immigration Law: in this course, you will be taught how to
verify the classification of aliens
determine the legality of status
recognize violations
initiate the appropriate action
3. Criminal Law: in this course, you will be taught how to recognize vi-
olations of federal criminal statutes and either take appropriate action
(following the laws under the Department of Homeland Security’s
purview) or to refer the case to another federal agency of primary
jurisdiction.
4. Statutory Authority: in this course, you will be taught the primary
statutes, implementing regulations, and court decisions from which
you, as a Border Patrol Agent, will derive your authority to act in var-
ious situations.
To complete this part of your training successfully, you need to attain, and
continuously maintain, a minimum overall average of 70% in these four
courses.
Spanish-Language Training. This part of your training consists of an
8-week task-based Spanish-language training program. More than one million
undocumented aliens are apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol each year,
and 90% of them speak only Spanish, which is why it’s critical for all Border
Patrol Agents to speak Spanish. And if you want to be promoted, your pro-
ficiency in Spanish must increase until you are completely fluent.
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The Spanish taught at the Border Patrol Academy is highly specific to the
work you’ll be doing and the type of conversations and interrogations you
will need to have in order to do your job effectively. You will be taught law-
enforcement language specific to your future work environment, and you
will be taught how to solicit information from people. You will also be
taught colloquial phrases and idiomatic expressions, so that you can talk
naturally in Spanish.
Border Patrol Operations. This course consists of FLETC police train-
ing instruction, as well as an operations course instructed by Border Patrol
personnel. FLETC stands for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Cen-
ter, which is an interagency law-enforcement training organization that
serves more than 80 federal agencies (obviously including the CBP). You
will be tested midway through this training and then again at the end of the
course. In order to successfully complete this aspect of your total training at
the Academy, you must attain an overall grade of 70% in the combined sub-
ject areas.
Firearms Training. This part of your training includes both classroom
and range practice shooting, to teach you what you need to know about the
following topics:
range safety
survival shooting techniques
judgment pistol shooting
quick point
instinctive reaction shooting (how to control your weapon in stressful
situations to achieve maximum tactical accuracy and speed while
quickly clearing any malfunction and to accomplish fast reloading;
this skill builds confidence in your shooting ability under stress and
instills an understanding of what your weapon can realistically do)
You’ll have to wait until you get to the Academy for more information on
these topics than you see here, because this is the only information provided
in the CBP’s brief description of what you’ll learn at the Academy.
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If you fail to complete your firearms training successfully, you will be
provided eight hours of remedial training followed by a two-hour requalifi-
cation session.
Physical Training. During your time at the Border Patrol Academy, you
will also do physical fitness training two to three days per week initially,
which will increase to five days per week after the midterm. This training
consists of the following:
45–60 minutes of mat room work, including jumping jacks, pushups,
situps, and strengthening exercises
a 3-mile run at a 9–10-minute-per-mile pace.
The physical training program at the Academy has four purposes:
1. to condition you physically to an acceptable standard that will enable
you to perform the day-to-day duties you will face as a Border Patrol
Agent working in the field;
2. to train and condition you physically so that you can react well to ob-
stacles (both from the environment and from people you may come
in contact with) and so you can react well to physically dangerous sit-
uations (you need to be able to react in a way that minimizes injury to
you or other agents or innocent third parties);
3. to condition you psychologically so that you are confident in your
own physical ability, which in turn will enable you to react positively
to physically strenuous or dangerous situations—and to ensure that
you also know and remain aware of your physical limitations so that
you are not overly confident in your physical abilities;
4. to teach you how important it is for you, as a Border Patrol Agent, to
be physically fit and to maintain a fitness program that is right for
you, after you leave the Academy.
The reason physical training is so important to Border Patrol work is that
you will likely do much of your work on foot, often alone, and in rural areas:
this is where the smuggling of illegal aliens, narcotics, and other contraband
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typically takes place, so you need to be in good shape, physically and psy-
chologically, so that you can react and respond effectively in dangerous
situations.
In order to graduate from the Border Patrol, you will be given a final,
two-hour fitness test. You must be able to
run 1.5 miles in 13 minutes or less
run a 220-yard dash in 46 seconds or less
complete the confidence course in two-and-a-half minutes or less
The brief description provided on the CBP’s web site doesn’t explain what
the confidence course is, but the Marine Corps Basic Training includes a confi-
dence course that consists of a combination of the following challenges:
The Confidence Climb: here, you have to climb a vertical track (like a
railroad track going up into the sky) about 30 feet to the top, straddle
over the top log, and then descend on the other side.
The A-Frame—here, you have to climb a rope and maneuver through
three logs. Once you’re through the logs, you walk approximately 20
feet over wooden beams to two A-shaped structures, then climb to
the top, swing on a rope, and work your way slowly back down to the
ground.
The Slide for Life—here, you start by inching along a cable like a
worm, over a swimming pool. Once you get across part of the cable,
you need to hang by your hands, and face the end of the pool. Then,
you need to kick up your legs to catch the cable and work your way to
the end of the pool. Many people who attempt this lose their grip and
fall into the pool.
Driver Training. This part of the Academy’s program is intended to
teach you how to operate a variety of vehicles safely and efficiently. Because
the Border Patrol’s main purpose is to prevent people from entering the
United States illegally across our borders and to apprehend illegal aliens
anywhere in the United States, Border Patrol Agents need to be able to op-
erate vehicles under many different extreme conditions (both environmen-
tal and climate conditions).
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To graduate from the Border Patrol Academy, you must successfully
complete instruction in the following three areas:
1. van and utility vehicle operation
2. skid control
3. emergency response
Once you have completed the pass/fail portion of the driving program,
you will then be given further advance instruction in these four areas:
1. pursuit driving
2. vehicle stops (both low-risk and high-risk)
3. night driving
4. four-wheel driving
POST-ACADEMY TRAINING
After you graduate from the Border Patrol Academy, you are still required
to take Spanish and law and operations classes at the headquarters of the
Border Patrol Sector to which you are assigned (the 20 sectors are listed in
Chapter 1, in Exhibit 1-4, and shown on a map of the United States in Ex-
hibit 1-5). You also need to pass two sets of probationary exams, seven and
ten months after graduating. You will also receive on-the-job training as a
member of a field-training unit led by at least one senior Agent. Mentoring
by this senior Agent is critical: it is intended not only to help new Agents as-
similate into the Agency but also to evaluate whether they have the aptitude
and qualifications necessary for the rigorous demands of the job.
4
POSSIBLE CHANGES TO TRAINING
After President Bush’s decision to increase the number of Border Patrol
Agents from about 12,000 to 18,000 by the end of 2008, the agency began
considering ways to expedite its training process, in order to get new Agents
out into the field faster. One approach it is considering is to cut 30 days
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from the schedule for trainees who already speak Spanish. Another is to
convert post-academy classroom training to computer-based training,
which would allow agents to complete their necessary once-a-week training
at duty stations rather than traveling to sector headquarters (which is what
new agents are currently required to do).
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MILITARY VETERANS currently make up approximately 25%
of the CBP’s workforce.
1
The Border Patrol and other law-enforcement
agencies are a good fit for military personnel who are leaving service. As one
ex-military Senior Patrol Agent said, “it’s an easier transition for [troops
leaving the service] going from one uniform to the next. Adventure is there
as well.”
2
Another Border Patrol Agent, who spent 5
1
2
years in the Marine
Corps, said that “the Border Patrol is not like the Corps [in that] there is
not a strict chain of command, but a lot of situations are similar. The transi-
tion from the Corps to the Border Patrol was [therefore] pretty easy.
3
The CBP recognizes the similarity of some aspects of the work, which is
why it recruits from the military. As Randy Renn, a spokesman for the CBP,
said, “Military veterans are used to working in all types of terrain and
CHAPTER three
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weather. Just like the Border Patrol, they are expected to be ready to deploy
to any emergency at a moment’s notice. It should be an easy transition from
the military to the Border Patrol Agent career.”
4
One specific reason why it’s a good idea to move from military to the
Border Patrol is that you can apply your time served in the military to your
federal retirement plan (although you have to buy back your time, either by
making a lump-sum payment or by having small increments deducted from
your Border Patrol paychecks). For example, the agent cited above applied
his 13
1
2
years in the Marine Corps to his time with the Border Patrol, and
when he retires with 20 years in the Border Patrol, he will receive retire-
ment pay for 33
1
2
years of service.
5
ELIGIBILITY FOR VETERANS’ PREFERENCES IN HIRING
According to the Department of Labor,
6
veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces
have been given some degree of preference in appointments to federal
jobs—in fact, this has been true since the Civil War. Congress enacted laws
to prevent veterans who are seeking federal employment from being penal-
ized because of the time they spent in their military service, and to recog-
nize that people who serve in the military make sacrifices that other people
don’t. Therefore, many veterans receive an advantage—in the form of a hir-
ing preference determined by a point score—when they apply for federal
jobs, including Border Patrol Agent jobs.
Here are the details on the laws that apply:
By law (Title 5 USC, Section 2108), veterans who are disabled or
who serve on active duty in the Armed Forces during certain
specified time periods or in military campaigns are entitled to
preference over non-veterans both in Federal hiring practices and
in retention during reductions in force (RIF).
The National Defense Authorization Act of 2006 (Public Law
109-163) extends Veterans’ Preference to those individuals who
served on active duty for a period of more than 180 consecutive
days [i.e., 6 months] any part of which occurred during the pe-
riod beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on a future
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date prescribed by Presidential proclamation or by law as the last
date of Operation Iraqi Freedom; and, who were discharged or
released from active duty in the armed forces under honorable
conditions.
Note, however, that this doesn’t mean these preferences will ensure that
every veteran will be placed in every vacant federal job. In other words,
you’re not guaranteed a federal job just because you served in the military,
because that practice would contradict the merit principle of public employ-
ment. What this does mean, though, is that special consideration is given to
qualified veterans seeking federal employment—which includes the Border Pa-
trol Agent job. However, it is critical for the applicant who is a veteran to
understand that he or she must still otherwise be qualified for the position
as a Border Patrol Agent, regardless of Veterans’ Preference.
To determine if you are eligible for a veterans’ preference, go to this web-
site: www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/mservice.htm. The site will ask you
the following series of questions, at the end of which it will calculate how
many points you may have toward your score, when you apply and are
tested for nonmilitary law-enforcement jobs, such as the Border Patrol.
10-Point Preference in Hiring. You may be eligible for a 10-point pref-
erence in hiring if you can answer yes to all the following questions.
1. Did you serve on active duty in the Armed Forces of the United
States?
2. Were you discharged from or released from active duty in the Armed
Forces under honorable conditions?
(If your discharge was Honorable or General, or was changed to
Honorable or General by a Discharge Review Board, answer yes. If
you received a clemency discharge, answer no.)
3. Do you have a present service-connected disability or receive service-
connected compensation, disability retirement benefits or a pension
from the military or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs?
(Note: Service-connected disability includes the award of a Purple
Heart. Also, if you have applied for disability determination to the De-
partment of Veterans’ Affairs, and are likely to receive certification,
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answer yes. If you have not applied or do not have a pending determi-
nation of disability, answer no.)
If you answered yes to all of the above questions—in other words, if you
served on active duty, received an honorable discharge, and are disabled be-
cause of your time on active duty—the site tells you that you appear to be eli-
gible for a 10-point preference in hiring.
5-Point Preference in Hiring. On the other hand, if you answered no to
Question 3, the site continues by asking you the following questions:
4. Did you retire from the military?
5. Did you serve during the period December 7, 1941, to July 1, 1955?
6. Did you serve for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which
occurred after January 31, 1955, and before October 15, 1976?
7. Did you serve on active duty during the period beginning August 2,
1990, and ending January 2, 1992?
8. Did you serve for more than 180 consecutive days, any part of which
was served beginning on September 11, 2001, and ending on a date to
be determined for Operation Iraqi Freedom?
9. Did you serve on active duty in the Armed Forces during a war, in a
campaign or expedition for which a campaign medal was author-
ized, including Lebanon, Grenada, Panama, Southwest Asia (Desert
Storm/Shield), Somalia, Haiti, the Persian Gulf and Bosnia?
If you answered yes to any one of Questions 4 to 9—i.e., if you did serve
during active duty—the site provides this information: You appear to be eligi-
ble for a 5-point preference in hiring.
No Veterans’ Preference in Hiring. If you answered no to Questions 4 to
9 (which basically are asking you whether or not you served during times of
active duty, either in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, the first Gulf War, the
Afghanistan and Iraq wars, and the other military campaigns mentioned in
Question 9), the site then tells you that you do not appear to be eligible for Veter-
ans’ Preference. However, it does refer you to another source of information,
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to determine your possible eligibility under the Uniformed Services Employ-
ment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) of 1994.
Here’s another scenario, where the site asks you the following questions:
10. Did you retire from the military?
11. Are you drawing retirement pay from the military?
12. Did you retire at a rank of Major, Lieutenant Commander or higher?
If you answer yes to the above questions, the site informs you that you do not
appear to be eligible for Veterans’ Preference.
How the Eligibility Preference Points Help. If you are eligible for veter-
ans’ preference points, these points are added to your raw test score, and
your test score is how the Border Patrol ranks you when they have positions
open and are ready to make job offers. Obviously, a candidate with a score
of 90 will be chosen and offered a job before someone with a score of 80, so
if you have 5 or 10 points eligibility, that works to your advantage in being
hired by the Border Patrol.
BORDER PATROL RECRUITING FROM THE MILITARY
The U.S. Border Patrol also actively recruits from the military. For exam-
ple, in September of 2008, the agency participated in a Recruit Military job
fair in Ashland, Nebraska. Approximately 30 other companies were also try-
ing to recruit ex-military personnel, and approximately 200 military veter-
ans attended the fair.
7
The Border Patrol is most interested in staff support
and intelligence analysis jobs. A senior U.S. Border Patrol Agent based in
Montana was the agency’s representative at this fair, and he commented that
“we are stepping up our recruiting, and recruiting in Nebraska is up 600%
compared to previous years. We are recruiting like mad.” And he explained
why recruiting from the military makes sense: “when you get an opportu-
nity to pull from the ranks of the military, you don’t have to spend as much
time on training. That is a huge plus.”
In addition to recruiting here in the United States, the Border Patrol trav-
eled overseas to recruit for the first time, in April of 2008. Two teams of
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agency officers visited six U.S. military bases in Germany, in hopes of re-
cruiting military veterans when they leave their tours of duty overseas. And
the trip was successful: the agents recruited 100 veterans to apply for posi-
tions as U.S. Border Patrol Agents.
8
The purpose of this trip was to address
the need to fill President Bush’s decision to add 6,000 more Border Patrol
Agents by the end of 2008 (as discussed in Chapter 6). As in Nebraska, one
of the recruiters who traveled to Germany confirmed why military veterans
are so desired as potential Border Patrol Agents: “We are reaching out to the
military because, like CBP, the military is committed to service to country
and evokes the same professional attributes necessary for protecting the
homeland.”
9
Further, CPB recruiters attribute the success of former mili-
tary personnel in jobs like Border Patrol Agent because they have compara-
ble job experience, in terms of being self-disciplined; understanding,
respecting, and following a chain of command; and working in the outdoors
for long periods of time under varying—and often harsh—terrain and cli-
mate conditions.
As mentioned in the Introduction, the age limit for entry-level jobs in the
Border Patrol was recently raised from age 37 to age 40. The primary reason
for doing this was to enable more military veterans to apply for the job after
they’ve completed a 20-year career in the military. For example, if you joined
the Armed Forces when you were 18 years old and served the full 20 years,
you were too old to apply for a job as a Border Patrol Agent when the age re-
quirement was 37. With the age requirement changed to age 40, the Border
Patrol can now benefit from your 20 years of military training and experience.
The Border Patrol has also worked with the National Guard at times. For
example, in June of 2006, the National Guard began putting the first of a
planned 2500 troops along the U.S.–Mexico border to work with the Bor-
der Patrol in curbing illegal immigration from Mexico. The National
Guard already had about 450 personnel working along the border, fighting
drug smuggling into the United States. But this additional assignment of
National Guard personnel was implemented after President Bush an-
nounced that the Border Patrol would increase the number of agents from
12,000 to 18,000: until the new 6,000 agents could be recruited, tested,
hired, and trained, the National Guard would help out as part of Operation
Jump Start. The National Guard troops would not be involved in direct law
enforcement activities; instead, they would provide direct support, helping
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detect possible illegal immigrants, and Border Patrol Agents would con-
tinue to apprehend and question people, as necessary.
The Department of Homeland Security is also considering offering in-
centives to current members of the reserves or former armed-service mem-
bers who have two years of separation from service. The rationale behind
this is that these personnel are already trained and physically fit, and many
of the skills needed in military work and Border Patrol work are similar,
though obviously the emphasis needs to shift from military to enforcement.
There are some critics, however, of this new approach to recruiting. For
example, the Rev. Robin Hoover, founder of an organization called Humane
Borders, feels this approach is akin to “militarizing the border.” Hoover is
concerned because soldiers are given so much weapons training that is not
necessary for work as Border Patrol agents. Although Border Patrol Agents
are trained in the use of firearms (as described in Chapter 2), critics like
Hoover believe that agents “spend most of their time dealing with economic
migrants who aren’t dangerous,”
10
and “if [weapons training] is pre-eminent
in your mind, you are going to be more apt to use [that training].”
11
Nevertheless, the Border Patrol defends its practice of recruiting from the
military as sensible. For example, Dave Stoddard, a former Border Patrol su-
pervisor who retired in 1996 after 27 years with the agency, confirmed that
nearly all of his classmates who graduated with him in 1969 from the Border
Patrol academy were ex-military (Stoddard himself served three years in the
Army before he joined the Border Patrol). And although that was 40 years
ago, Stoddard feels the reasons for recruiting from the military are still solid
today: “[The] military has rules of engagement [and the] Border Patrol has
rules of engagement....The former military guy knows how to take orders.
He doesn’t get panicked in emergency situations like coming under fire. He’s
already familiar with weapons and strategies and tactics. And, he has already
dedicated three to six years to serving the country.”
12
And T.J. Bonner, presi-
dent of the National Border Patrol Council, which is the Border Patrol
Agents’ union, also believes that people with military experience who want to
serve their country and have proved they can withstand rigorous training are
a good match to work for the Border Patrol.
13
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53
TO APPLY to become a Border Patrol Agent, all you need to do is go
to https://cbpmhc.hr-services.org/BPA/. This online application asks you
questions about your background, qualifications, education, and experience.
Also, as part of completing this application—that is, during the online appli-
cation process—you will be asked to schedule when you will take the written
test to qualify for the job. Also, as mentioned in the Introduction, the hard-
est part of the application process is the stringent background check.
1
This chapter provides a preview of the questions you’ll need to answer
during this online application. Completing the online application takes
about 30 minutes (depending on how quickly you can read and answer the
questions).
THE APPLICATION PROCESS
CHAPTER four
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BASIC PHYSICAL AND HEALTH REQUIREMENTS
The first question posed on the application is intended to make sure you
know the physical and health requirements of the job. Chapter 2 described
these in detail; in contrast, this section of the application is simply a para-
graph summarizing the basic requirements.
You must be physically able to perform strenuous duties under rigor-
ous environmental conditions. These duties include
running long distances
climbing
jumping, etc.
withstanding exposure to extreme weather conditions for extended
periods
standing and stooping for long periods of time
You must be willing and able to work irregular and protracted hours.
You must undergo a pre-employment medical exam and be medically
certified to perform the full range of duties required, and to perform
them efficiently and without hazard to yourself or to others.
This preliminary information describes some of the most common medical
problems that prevent candidates from passing the medical exam, and de-
scribes the minimum standards necessary to avoid these problems.
You must have uncorrected distance vision of 20/100 or better in each
eye (which means that you can only see from 20 feet away what a per-
son with normal vision can see from 100 feet away). Also, your binoc-
ular vision (i.e., seeing through both eyes) must be correctable to
20/20 vision with glasses or contact lenses.
Your peripheral vision must be normal.
Your visual depth perception must be normal.
Your color vision must be normal (that is, you cannot be color-blind).
Normal hearing is required, the use of any hearing aid to comply
with the medical standards is unacceptable.
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Any disease or condition that interferes with the safe, efficient, and
expected performance of your job duties or required training may
constitute grounds for you to be disqualified for medical reasons.
The purpose of providing this preliminary information on the application is
to ensure that candidates are not wasting their time by applying if they do
not meet the basic medical standards required for the Border Patrol Agent
job. Therefore, the first question after this information is Do you wish to con-
tinue your application?
In addition to the minimum standards listed above (which the online ap-
plication will ask you about), there is more detailed information regarding
medical diseases and conditions that may disqualify you from applying to
become a Border Patrol Agent. These are available on the CBP’s website,
2
and they include but are not limited to the following:
Vision. Any disease or condition that interferes with your vision may
be disqualifying. (Refractive surgical procedures, such as laser surgery
and LASIK surgery, are considered acceptable provided your vision
meets the CBP’s vision standards post-operatively, and provided that
an acceptable recovery time period has occurred and you are free of
post-operative complications.)
Speech. Any disease or condition that interferes with your speech or
breathing or bears the potential to render you suddenly incapacitated
is generally disqualifying.
Respiratory system. Any disease or condition that interferes with
respiratory function may be considered disqualifying. For example,
asthma that is currently controlled on any medication is generally
disqualifying.
Cardiovascular system. Any disease or condition that interferes
with cardiac function is generally disqualifying, for example, if you
have a pacemaker or coronary artery disease.
Hypertension. If your blood pressure is higher than 140 over 90,
you may be disqualified.
Psychiatric disorders. Any disorder that affects normal percep-
tual judgment and safe and acceptable behavior, or any evidence of
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serious mental impairment, is generally disqualifying—for exam-
ple, major depression, panic disorder, schizophrenia, or personality
disorders.
Musculoskeletal system. Any medical condition that interferes with
or adversely impacts your movement, agility, flexibility, strength, dex-
terity, coordination, or the like is generally disqualifying, for example,
arthritis, amputations (even of fingers), degenerative disk disease,
fractures, or chronic low back pain.
Medications. If you have taken narcotics, sedative hypnotics, barbi-
turates, amphetamines, or any other drug that has the potential for
addiction for more than 10 days, you may be disqualified. This also
pertains to anabolic steroids.
Endocrine and metabolic systems. You may be disqualified if you
have any excess or deficiency in hormonal production that can cause
elevated blood pressure, weakness, fatigue, and/or collapse, such as
insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Gastrointestinal system. You may be disqualified if you have any
disorder that could incapacitate you or render you incapable of sus-
taining attention to required tasks—for example, if you have hepatitis
or Crohn’s disease.
Blood system. You may be disqualified if you have anemia or hemo-
philia (or other blood diseases or conditions).
Again, for more detailed information on these and other diseases and
conditions, go to the CBP’s website. As mentioned, you will not be asked
about these specific conditions during the online application, but this is
something to keep in mind because you will be questioned about and possi-
bly tested for these during your medical examination.
SUITABILITY FOR THE JOB
The next section of the online application is intended to ensure that a
given applicant is suitable for the job itself and will meet the U.S. govern-
ment’s security standards. This section describes the intensive background
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investigation all applicants must undergo and indicates what the back-
ground investigation will be looking for—specifically:
how honest you are
how reliable you are
if you have a police record
what your financial records may reveal
if you use alcohol or drugs
your mental health
your employment record
To obtain this information, the background investigation will include inter-
views with past and present employers, neighbors, teachers, friends, and ref-
erences. The background investigation will also check law-enforcement
records, credit records, educational records, medical records, and other
records. Essentially, in this section, the CBP is giving you an opportunity to
opt out of the application process if you think an investigation of your back-
ground will reveal something that would eliminate you from being consid-
ered for a Border Patrol Agent position. Therefore, after providing the
above information, the application asks you, Are you willing to undergo a back-
ground investigation for this position?
Questions Regarding Use of Drugs. If you answer yes to the previous
question and you continue the application process, the next section asks you
the following more specific questions:
Within the last 7 years, have you used, tried, experimented [with],
purchased, sold, manufactured, or distributed a non-prescribed
controlled substance (e.g., marijuana, anabolic steroids, ecstasy,
oxycontin, rohypnol, GHB, ketamine, cocaine, methampheta-
mine, mushrooms, heroin, PCP, LSD, opium, hash)?
You can either answer never or specify during what time periods you did do
any of the above (for example, within the past year).
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Questions Regarding Citizenship and Immigration Status. Next, the
application asks about your citizenship or immigration status in the United
States, as well as that of your spouse and family.
After the age of 18, have you done any of the following:
Did you enter the United States illegally?
Did you overstay an authorized period of admission?
Did you reside, work, or attend school in the United States without
status?
Did you violate or assist another to violate immigration or customs
laws? Examples include:
smuggle an alien(s)
harbor/shelter an illegal alien
intentionally fail to declare merchandise or funds as required
make false claim to U.S. citizenship
attempt to enter the United States using fraudulent or counterfeit
documents or documents belonging to another
Were you ever removed or deported from the United States?
Are you married to/living or residing with any person who is illegally
in the United States (e.g., out of status, overstayed visa)?
Questions Regarding Conviction of Domestic Violence Crime. Your
suitability for the job also involves the use of firearms, because all Border
Patrol Agents are required to carry firearms. However, if you have ever
been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence, you will be
disqualified from the Border Patrol Agent application process, because it
is a felony for you to possess any firearms or ammunition. This section of
the application defines and explains what constitutes a misdemeanor crime
of domestic violence.
A misdemeanor crime of domestic violence is generally defined as
any offense which has, as an element, the use of attempted use or
physical force or the threatened use of a deadly weapon, commit-
ted by a current or former partner, parent, or guardian of the vic-
tim. The term “convicted” excludes anyone whose conviction has
been expunged or set aside, or who has received pardon.
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The application then asks you, Have you ever been convicted of a crime of domes-
tic violence that has not been expunged or for which you have not received a pardon?
Questions Regarding Your Finances. If you answer no to the previous
questions and wish to continue with the online application, the next ques-
tions regarding your suitability for the job as a Border Patrol Agent pertain
to your finances. Specifically, the application asks you:
Are you currently delinquent on Federal Debt for 90 days or
more (e.g., taxes, overpayment of benefits, federal guaranteed or
insured loans, such as student and home mortgage loans)?
Questions Regarding U.S. Residency. One of the requirements of the
Border Patrol Agent job is that you must be a U.S. citizen and you must
have resided in the United States for the three years prior to when you ap-
ply for the position. This section of the online application provides details
on this requirement, noting that you must have met one of the following
conditions:
(a) [you must have] physically resided in the United States or its protec-
torates or territories (Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, etc.), ex-
cluding short trips abroad (such as vacations);
OR
(b) [you must have] worked for the U.S. government as an employee
overseas in a Federal or military capacity;
OR
(c) [you must have] been a dependent of a U.S. Federal or military em-
ployee serving overseas.
The online application goes on to say that exceptions may be granted to ap-
plicants if they can provide information explaining (to the U.S. govern-
ment’s satisfaction, of course), why they were living outside the United
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States during the three years before applying for the Border Patrol Agent
position. This information will be used to determine whether an appli-
cant meets suitability and security requirements. The online application
calls this information state-side coverage information and offers the follow-
ing examples:
1. If you were working in another country for a U.S.-based company,
you must provide the U.S. address of the company headquarters
where your personnel file is located;
2. If you were a student at a U.S. college or university and you were
studying abroad, you must provide the state-side address of the pro-
fessor who was in charge of your study-abroad program;
3. If you were a member of a U.S.-based religious organization and you
were doing religious work for that organization in another country,
you must provide records from that religious organization for the
mission work you were doing;
4. If you were working or studying overseas, you must also provide the
U.S. addresses of anyone you worked with or studied with while you
were overseas.
The online application then asks you to state whether or not you meet the
CBP’s U.S. residency requirements.
LANGUAGE ABILITY REQUIREMENTS
The next section of the online application pertains to the requirement that
all Border Patrol Agents must speak or learn Spanish at the Border Patrol
Academy. Here you must indicate your willingness to take a written test to
determine your Spanish-language skills or to take an artificial language
exam, which evaluates your ability to learn a foreign language. You must
also state that you are willing to attend the required Spanish-language train-
ing course at the Border Patrol Academy.
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DEBARMENT: IF YOU’VE BEEN
BANNED FROM EMPLOYMENT
The next section of the online application states that applicants can be
banned from employment for a specific time period if they are found un-
suitable. It then asks you if you are currently debarred from entry-level
officer positions, based on a decision made by any of the following
organizations:
the Office of Personnel Management
the former Immigration and Naturalization Service
the former Customs Service
the Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS THAT RESTRICT THE
APPLICATION PROCESS
The next section of the online application refers very briefly to settlement
agreements. It states and asks only the following:
An individual who currently applies for a Federal Career Intern
Program (FCIP) position and is found unsuitable for employ-
ment has certain appeal rights to the Merit Systems Protection
Board.
Are you under a settlement agreement which currently re-
stricts you from applying for or being considered for employment
in a Border Patrol Agent position?
Again, the intent of such questions is to let applicants know of possible im-
pediments to their application for a Border Patrol Agent position.
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ABILITY TO PERFORM ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
OF A BORDER PATROL AGENT
New recruits for the position of Border Patrol Agent, of course, receive ex-
tensive training at the Border Patrol Academy before they begin any official
job duties. However, the CBP uses this next section of the online applica-
tion to ask 12 key questions regarding your ability to perform some of the
essential functions of the Border Patrol Agent job. This section of the appli-
cation is critical, because it explicitly states that if you answer no to one or
more of the following Essential Function questions, you may be disqualified from
further consideration for the Border Patrol Agent position.
Here are the questions, to which you simply answer yes or no:
1. Applicants are required to undergo a drug screening and will be sub-
ject to random drug testing after employment. Will you comply with
this requirement?
2. Applicants are required to undergo a comprehensive medical exami-
nation. Will you comply with this requirement?
3. Border Patrol Agents encounter people (aliens) experiencing extreme
poverty and personal hardship, such as separation from family. Agents
may also witness drownings, vehicle accidents and other tragedies.
Agents are occasionally exposed to aliens who carry infectious dis-
eases. Would you be able to work in these conditions?
4. Would you be able to work alone in remote areas throughout the
night or at times when you may have limited communication or may
be at a high risk of danger?
5. Proficiency in the Spanish language is required for effective perform-
ance in the Border Patrol Agent job. Would you be willing to learn
the language at the required level of proficiency?
6. New Border Patrol Agents are required to attend a rigorous five-month
(20-week) training program. Would you be willing to attend such train-
ing in a location that may be away from your current residence?
7. Some new Border Patrol Agents will be assigned to small, remote lo-
cations or areas in which there are people whose cultures are signifi-
cantly different from their own. If assigned to such an area, would
you be willing to relocate?
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8. Border Patrol Agents are assigned initially to the Southwest border,
after which transfers to all future duty stations, as well as promo-
tions, are made on a competitive basis. Would you be willing to work
at a duty station away from your original home for an indefinite pe-
riod of time?
9. On occasion, Border Patrol Agents are assigned on very short notice
to work on a temporary basis, but for an extended period of time, in
locations away from their permanent duty station. Would you be
willing to accept such assignments?
10. Would you be able to work a schedule that could include changing
your days off within the seven calendar days of Sunday through
Saturday?
11. The Border Patrol requires mandatory use of a prescribed uniform
and conformity to established grooming standards. Would you be
willing to comply with these requirements?
12. If you found yourself in a “life threatening” situation, do you feel you
could use deadly force (e.g., use your firearm) to protect your life,
the lives of fellow officers, or the lives of innocent bystanders?
SCHEDULING YOUR ORAL INTERVIEW
The next section of the online application covers scheduling for a struc-
tured oral board interview, which will be conducted for all applicants who
successfully complete the written test and who are tentatively selected for a
position. Therefore, you must now choose a location where you wish to
take the structured oral interview. The online application says there are 47
possible locations to choose from, but there are actually 49, in 30 states and
Puerto Rico.
Some of the larger states have more than one city listed: for example,
Arizona has two cities, California has two, Florida has three, New York
has five, Texas has ten, and Washington State has two. Exhibit 4-1 lists the
cities and states from which you can choose, listed in alphabetical order by
state first.
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EXHIBIT 4-1. Cities and States Where Oral Board Interviews Are Held
1. Alabama, Mobile
2. Arizona, Tucson
3. Arizona, Yuma
4. Arkansas, North Little Rock
5. California, San Diego
6. California, Stockton
7. Colorado, Denver
8. Florida, Jacksonville
9. Florida, Orlando
10. Florida, Pembroke Pines
11. Georgia, Atlanta
12. Idaho, Twin Falls
13. Illinois, Chicago
14. Indiana, Indianapolis
15. Louisiana, Baton Rouge
16. Maine, Houlton
17. Massachusetts, Boston
18. Michigan, Detroit
19. Minnesota, Fort Snelling
(St. Paul)
20. Montana, Great Falls
21. Nevada, Las Vegas
22. New Mexico, Artesia
23. New York, Albany
24. New York, Buffalo
25. New York, Champlain
26. New York, New York City
27. New York, Tonawanda
28. North Carolina, Charlotte
29. North Dakota, Grand Forks
30. Ohio, Cleveland
31. Oregon, Portland
32. Pennsylvania, York
33. Puerto Rico, Ramey
34. Tennessee, Nashville
35. Texas, Dallas
36. Texas, Del Rio
37. Texas, El Paso
38. Texas, Harlingen
39. Texas, Houston
40. Texas, Laredo
41. Texas, Lubbock
42. Texas, Marfa
43. Texas, McAllen
44. Texas, San Antonio
45. Utah, Salt Lake City
46. Vermont, Swanton
47. Virginia, Fairfax
48. Washington, Seattle
49. Washington, Spokane
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Note that there are no locations in the following states and districts:
1. Alaska
2. Connecticut
3. Delaware
4. Hawaii
5. Iowa
6. Kansas
7. Kentucky
8. Maryland
9. Mississippi
10. Missouri
11. Nebraska
12. New Hampshire
13. New Jersey
14. Oklahoma
15. Rhode Island
16. South Carolina
17. South Dakota
18. Washington DC
19. West Virginia
20. Wisconsin
21. Wyoming
WILLINGNESS TO ACCEPT PLACEMENT IN
SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS
After you’ve chosen the site at which you would like to be interviewed, the
online application next informs you of the geographic locations where you
are most likely to be assigned, if you pass all tests and become a Border Pa-
trol Agent. This information is very clear:
Applicants must be willing to accept placement anywhere along
the Southwest border of the United States. However, you will be
able to identify the one location where you would prefer to
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work....Please choose one geographic location where you
would be willing to work:
South Texas (includes the Laredo Border Patrol Sector and the Rio
Grande Valley Border Patrol Sector)
West Texas/New Mexico (includes the Del Rio Border Patrol Sector,
El Paso Border Patrol Sector, and Marfa Border Patrol Sector)
California (includes the El Centro Border Patrol Sector and San
Diego Border Patrol Sector)
Arizona (includes the Tucson Border Patrol Sector and Yuma Border
Patrol Sector).
Chapter 1 provided a map of the 20 Border Patrol Sectors; Exhibit 4-2
shows it again, for easy reference.
Also, keep in mind that while you may turn down appointment to a par-
ticular location, this is not advisable, as you may not receive another offer.
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EXHIBIT 4-2. Map of the 20 Sectors Comprising the Office of Border Patrol
From www.cbp.gov/linkhandler/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/bp_agents/sectors_map
.ctt/Sectors_map.pdf.
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BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Up until this point in the online application, all of the questions you’ve been
asked have been anonymous—in other words, you haven’t yet provided any
identifying information about yourself, so if you opted out at any time, the
CBP has no record that you ever even began the online application process.
And that was the purpose of those questions: to enable you to think about
what might disqualify you from consideration for employment (such as
prior drug use or criminal convictions), or what might make you rethink
your decision to pursue such employment (such as an unwillingness to work
in certain locations in the United States).
If you’re still on board, this point in the application process asks you to
provide all of the following information:
your social security number
your date of birth
your first name, middle initial, and last name
your street address and the city, state, zip code, and country where
you currently reside
at least one home phone number (and you can enter up to two alter-
nate phone numbers)
the best time to reach you by phone (day, night, or either)
your mother’s maiden name
Most of these fields are required; if you leave them blank, you will not be
able to move forward with your online application.
EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE FOR
ENTRY-LEVEL BORDER PATROL AGENTS
The next section of the online application asks you questions regarding your
education and experience, so that the CBP can determine what grade level you
are eligible for. You will be considered at the highest grade level for which you
are qualified. The online application is simply making a preliminary eligibility
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determination, which will be verified later in your application, interview,
and testing process.
As mentioned in Chapter 1 in the salary section, there are three grade
levels at which you can be hired, depending on your education and experi-
ence: GS-5, GS-7, and GS-9.
GS-5 Level. You may qualify for this level of employment through work
experience, education, or a combination of work experience and education.
A bachelor’s degree is not required for this level; however, the application asks
you here whether or not you have a bachelor’s degree or a higher degree
from an accredited college or university.
GS-7 Level. You may qualify for this level of employment based on any
of the following:
graduate-level education: one or more complete years of full-time
graduate-level study (after you received your bachelor’s degree); note
that the graduate-level education must be in police science, law, or a
field related to law enforcement
superior academic achievement: this is based on your receiving a
bachelor’s degree, such as a B.S. or B.A., and any of the following re-
quired achievements:
class standing: you must be in the upper third of your graduating
class in your college, university, or major subdivision
(or) grade-point average: 3.0 or higher for all completed under-
graduate courses, or courses complete in the last two years of un-
dergraduate study; or a GPA of 3.5 or higher for all courses in your
major field of study, or required courses in major complete in the
last two years of undergraduate study
(or) honor society membership: you must have been a member
of a national scholastic honor society other than freshman honor
societies
specialized experience
(or) a combination of specialized experience and graduate-level
education
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GS-9 Level. You may qualify for this level of employment if you have one
year of specialized experience in law enforcement or other responsible work
that would therefore be equivalent to the GS-7 level and that would demon-
strate your ability to do all of the following:
Develop cases, conduct interviews or interrogations, apprehensions,
and arrests in order to further the process or case development.
Prepare cases and appear as a professional witness in court.
Exercise sound judgment in the use of firearms and conduct train-
ing, qualification exercises, or courses in the proper care and use of
firearms.
Deal effectively with individuals or groups of persons in a courteous
and tactful manner in their detention, control, or interrogation, and
work to promote effective community outreach programs and public
relations.
Analyze and disseminate intelligence information and data rapidly;
and apply a practical knowledge of the laws, concepts, operational
practices and law enforcement methods and techniques in order to in-
dependently perform duties typically encountered in law enforcement.
Develop and maintain contact with a network of informants, social
and political organizations, state and local enforcement agencies, and
private citizens, to ensure continuity of enforcement work and to
carry out enforcement responsibilities.
Use a variety of law enforcement databases and information retrieval
systems, such as NEXUS as well as:
TECS, the Treasury Enforcement Communication System, which
is a computerized information system designed to identify individ-
uals and businesses suspected of or involved in violation of federal
law. TECS is also a communications system permitting message
transmittal between Treasury law enforcement offices and other
national, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
3
NCIC, the National Crime Information Center, which is a com-
puterized index of criminal justice information (pertaining to
criminal record history information, fugitives, stolen property, and
missing persons) that is available to Federal, state, and local law
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enforcement and other criminal justice agencies and is operational
24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This information assists authorized
agencies in criminal justice and related law enforcement objec-
tives, such as apprehending fugitives, locating missing persons, lo-
cating and returning stolen property, as well as in the protection of
the law enforcement officers encountering the individuals de-
scribed in the system.
4
Prepare reports and write other documents that deal with the collec-
tion, protection, and recording of evidence, the presentation of testi-
mony, and the retention of informational materials concerning illegal
activities and practices encountered during daily activities.
After listing what you need to be able to do in order to qualify for the
GS-9 level of employment as a Border Patrol Agent, the online application
then asks you to answer yes or no to eight questions that essentially ask if you
can do all of the above just listed. The application emphatically states that
Your experience must demonstrate that you have the ability to meet all eight
(8) of the following elements.
Once you answer these questions, the online application asks you to se-
lect the grades for which you wish to be considered.
VETERAN STATUS
Next, the online application asks whether you are a veteran of the U.S.
Armed Forces, and if you were discharged under honorable conditions. (Re-
call that Chapter 3 provided information regarding military experience.)
SCHEDULING AND TAKING THE WRITTEN EXAM
The next sections of the online application provide information on the writ-
ten test you will be required to take as part of your application process.
Keep in mind, as noted in Chapter 1, that only about 40% of people who
apply to become Border Patrol agents actually pass the written exam be-
cause it is so difficult. Therefore, the Border Patrol strongly advises applicants
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to study rigorously for the test by using the study guides that the agency
provides free to applicants. You should also consider using other study
guides and practice tests, such as those provided by Learning Express: see
our Border Patrol Exam: The Complete Preparation Guide, which also includes
access to a free online practice test that also gives you instant scoring.
Back to this part of the online application process, you will be informed
that the CBP agency provides reasonable accommodation in terms of spe-
cial testing arrangements for applicants with disabilities, where appropriate.
These accommodations may include changes in the presentation format,
response format, assessment setting, timing, or scheduling, and determina-
tions of requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-
case basis. No further information is provided regarding what type of
disabilities might be accommodated. In contrast, this section simply asks
whether you have a physical disability or any other type of impairment that
would require special testing arrangements at the test site in order for you
take the written test. This section concludes with a note stating that if you
answer yes regarding your need for special testing arrangements, someone
from an OPM will contact you to discuss your request.
Next, information is provided on the locations at which you can take the
written test, which include all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia,
Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
In addition, the CBP has a limited number of sites where compressed
testing is conducted. At a compressed test session, your test results—
whether you pass or fail—are provided shortly after you complete the exam.
In addition, you also receive an orientation and can discuss a career with a
Border Patrol recruiter. Finally, applicants who pass the test receive a tenta-
tive selection package at the test site, including an oral interview appoint-
ment date, pre-employment forms, and other hiring process information.
As you can see, the advantage of compressed testing is that it significantly
reduces the time involved in the pre-employment process. You need to
travel at your own expense to these sites. And you should be prepared to
spend approximately eight hours at the test site.
Compressed testing is offered only at the locations listed in Exhibit 4-3
(subject to change, but this information should be accurate when you com-
plete your own online application); these are listed alphabetically here by
state first.
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Once you choose the location where you want to take the written test, the
application will offer you a choice of three available test sessions, which may
be three to eight weeks from the date you are completing your online appli-
cation. To continue with your application, you must choose one of these
dates and set up a time to take the written test. However, the last question
you will be asked is whether or not you want to submit the application you
just filled out, so if you’re not yet sure you want to apply, you can opt out.
Keep in mind, though, that you can’t save your application, so if you decide
to come back another day to apply online, you’ll have to start all over again.
Fortunately, as mentioned, it takes only about 30 minutes to answer all
questions.
Chapter 5 describes the written test and provides suggestions on how to
prepare for taking it.
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EXHIBIT 4-3. Compressed Testing Locations for the Written Exam
1. Arizona: Phoenix and Tucson
2. California: Holtville, Moreno Valley, Ontario, and San Diego
3. Colorado: Denver
4. Florida: Orlando
5. Georgia: Atlanta
6. Illinois: Chicago
7. Michigan: Detroit
8. New York: Buffalo and New York City
9. Pennsylvania: Philadelphia
10. Puerto Rico: San Juan
11. Texas: Dallas, El Paso, Houston, McAllen, Pharr (in the Rio Grande Valley), and
San Antonio
12. Washington: Bellevue
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AS MENTIONED in Chapter 4, you will register to take the
Border Patrol written exam as part of completing your online application.
The application will give you three future dates on which you can take
the exam in the location you specify, and once you choose one of those
dates, you will be registered to take the test. This chapter describes what
the exam covers, and it provides information on how to prepare for the
written exam.
PREPARING FOR THE U.S. BORDER PATROL AGENT EXAM
CHAPTER five
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OVERVIEW OF THE U.S. BORDER PATROL EXAM
The U.S. Border Patrol Exam is a written exam that consists of three tests,
although you will take only two of them:
1. a Logical Reasoning Test
2. a Spanish Language Proficiency Test
3. an Artificial Language Test (ALT)
All applicants take the Logical Reasoning Test and either the Spanish Lan-
guage Proficiency Test or the ALT.
This chapter describes each of these tests in detail, so you’ll know gener-
ally what to expect, including sample questions, with the correct answers,
and explanations of the answers. This chapter also provides information on
practice tests and other resources that can help you further when you take
the written test. You can download a Preparation Manual for the U.S. Border
Patrol Test at the following website: www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/soar/preparation_
manual_bpa.pdf.
The Border Patrol strongly recommends that anyone planning to apply to
become a Border Patrol Agent download this test and become familiar with
the types of questions on the test. In other words, don’t take the test without
any preparation. This Preparation Manual explains each of the three tests in
detail. It also offers some test-taking tips that can help you, especially if you
haven’t had much practice taking written, multiple-choice tests (such as the
SAT, or Standard Aptitude Test, which high-school students take before ap-
plying to college). Exhibit 5-1 offers a summary of the test-taking tips.
LearningExpress offers another book, The Border Patrol Exam: The Com-
plete Preparation Guide, which covers the three tests in more detail than we
can here in Chapter 5; it includes
two complete practice test based on the official Border Patrol Exam
free access to an online Border Patrol practice exam, to help you
identify and correct any weak areas you may have so you can devote
extra study time to those areas
a free online diagnostic report—that is, an instant score—that will
show you exactly where you need to study more
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Preparing for the U.S. Border Patrol Agent Exam
Both the Learning Express book and the U.S. Border Patrol’s official Prepa-
ration Manual are especially useful because they provide explanations for why
the correct answer choice is correct as well as why the other choices are in-
correct. These explanations should help you enormously when you are
studying to take the written exam.
EXHIBIT 5-1. Tips for Taking the U.S. Border Patrol Exam
1. Stay calm and relaxed when taking the test. Breathe slowly and deeply, to help
you stay calm.
2. Read the directions very carefully before you being to take the test.
3. Begin by answering the questions you find easiest to answer. Skip questions that
you find to be difficult; then come back to them later. But be careful: if you skip
a question, make sure you find the correct place to answer the next question—
in other words, make sure your answers correspond to the right questions.
4. Read each question completely, and then read all answer choices carefully
before you select and mark your answer on the answer sheet. If you do not
know the answer to a particular question, try to eliminate some of the answer
choices: if you know that some choices are incorrect—or even probably
incorrect—you have a better chance of choosing the correct answer by
guessing from the remaining choices.
5. Answer every question, even if you have to guess. Keep in mind that your
score is based only on the number of questions you answer correctly. In other
words, you are not penalized for answering questions incorrectly, which is why
you should guess an answer even if you don’t know the answer.
6. If you finish the test before your time is up, go back and check your answers.
7. Be sure to mark your answer sheet correctly. If you have to change an answer,
erase your first answer before you mark your new answer. And, as mentioned in
tip 3, if you skip a question, be sure to answer the next question in the
appropriate place on your answer sheet. It would be a shame to know all the
correct answers to all questions, but then mark them in the wrong places.
8. If you happen to notice a pattern of responses on your answer sheet (for
example, A followed by B, then C, then D, then E, or a pattern of three As
followed by two Bs—or any other pattern), ignore it! There is no way to improve
your chances on the test by guessing based on some answer sheet pattern. The
correct answers are chosen randomly, so any pattern is just a coincidence.
9. If you are proficient in standard Spanish, including grammar (which is heavily
tested), take the Spanish Language Proficiency Test. If you are not proficient
in Spanish, take the ALT.
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THE LOGICAL REASONING TEST
There are 30 questions on this part of the exam. The questions are multiple
choice (and you have five possible responses from which to choose). The
questions assess several key intellectual capabilities that are required for you
to succeed as a Border Patrol Agent—specifically
your knowledge of vocabulary—including legal terms (which are of-
ten Latin-language terms, such as ex post facto (These Latin terms are
usually defined on the test, but of course they won’t be when you’re
working on the job. Exhibit 5-2 provides a list of some of the terms
you may encounter.)
your reading comprehension—because you need to be able to read
documents and reports and understand what you’ve read and the im-
plications of that information to the case you’re working on and the
people involved
critical thinking skills—because the Border Patrol Agent position is
not simply to guard borders but to be able to assess potentially
EXHIBIT 5-2. A Sampling of Latin Terms that May Appear on the Exam
causa mortis a transaction between a person who expects to die soon and
another living person—usually used in the context of giving a
gift; contrast with inter vivos
dolus bonus permissible deceitfulness
dolus malus unlawful deceitfulness
ex post facto (laws) enforced retroactively
inter vivos a transaction between a living person and another living person—
usually used in the context of giving a gift; contrast with causa
mortis
jus soli citizenship determined by the place of one’s birth
jus sanguinis citizenship determined by descent (i.e., by one’s parents or
other relative)
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dangerous situations (and people) and determine how best to handle
those situations
All of the above skills are necessary because Border Patrol Agents are of-
ten required to testify in court and other legal proceedings, so you need to
understand the legal reasoning process. The questions on the Logical Rea-
soning part of the Border Patrol Exam will test your ability to do exactly
that. Finally, keep in mind that, fortunately, the questions test only your un-
derstanding of the facts presented in each questions, and you do not need to
know any other information beyond what is presented to you. The ques-
tions simply test your ability to understand the information you read and to
draw a logical conclusion from those facts.
The Logical Reasoning questions may cover such topics as
determining whether or not someone is a legal U.S. citizen, based
on different laws passed at different times and specific family
circumstances
determining whether or not someone can be deported, based on dif-
ferent laws passed at different times
determining whether or not someone who wishes to enter (or who
has entered) the United States is entitled to refugee status or asylum
status
assessing how the statute of limitations applies in prosecuting dif-
ferent crimes, depending on whether they are felonies, misde-
meanors, or petty misdemeanors (all of which will be defined in the
question)
evaluating how different legal philosophies would apply in different
cases—for example, under what circumstances someone might be
tried for murder or under what circumstances the death penalty
might apply, if different judges with different philosophies were pre-
siding over the same murder case
assessing valid reasons, based on provided regulations and laws,
for someone to apply for refugee status from his or her home
country
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evaluating what involvement in a particular crime constitutes conspir-
acy (again, as with all questions on the exam, your answer will depend
on the facts presented to you within the question)
interpreting whether people’s basic human rights also carry responsi-
bilities, according to information included in the Universal Declara-
tion of Human Rights
understanding the implications of such laws as the Immigration and
Nationality Act (INA) and how they might apply, for example, to
whether or not it is unlawful for someone who has been transporting
one or more illegal aliens
understanding what statements made by a criminal defendant are ad-
missible in court and which are not
understanding what constitutes deadly force
recognizing which crimes are more serious than others (for example,
theft or prostitution?)
evaluating when a person’s property can be seized by creditors and
when it cannot be
understanding how federal laws and state laws on immigration may
conflict, and assessing the implications of those conflicts
understanding the difference between real property and personal
property
understanding the implications of reported statistics—for example,
pertaining to crime rates—in order to assess validity
making connections, or recognizing that there is no connection, be-
tween different statistics—for example, the number of people who are
inspected at a particular border and the number of people who were
apprehended at the same border
These questions are not easy. Exhibit 5-3 shows a few examples from a prac-
tice test. As mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, the Border Patrol
strongly recommends that you download the free Preparation Manual, to famil-
iarize yourself with and practice answering the logical reasoning questions
on the test.
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EXHIBIT 5-3. Sample Questions from the Logical Reasoning Test
1. Citizenship for foreign-born children is defined by guidelines that have been
revised during past decades. Between 1952 and 1986, citizenship was granted
when one parent was a United States citizen and one an alien, providing the
citizen parent had been physically present in the United States for ten years,
at least five of which were after attaining the age of 14. After 1986, the
guidelines changed. Citizenship was approved when one parent was a citizen
and one an alien, but the citizen parent had to have been physically present
in the United States for five years, at least two of which were after attaining the
age of 14. Baby Jon was born in the year 1995 to Chimera Ballard (an alien) and
Roger Ballard (a U.S. citizen). Jon is NOT considered a citizen from birth.
If the above information is true, then it can be validly concluded that the most
likely true statement regarding Jon’s parents is that, at the time of Jon’s birth
a. Roger and Chimera were both 25 years old; Chimera had been present in the
United States since 1984 and Roger since 1994.
b. Roger was 25 years old and had been present in the United States since 1994.
c. Roger was 15 years old and had been present in the United States since 1993.
d. Roger and Chimera were both 17 and had been present in the United States
between 1991 and 1992.
e. Roger was 16 years old and had been present in the United States since 1993.
8. A person arrested for a felony has a right to representation by an attorney and
has certain rights against self-incrimination. If a defendant in a criminal trial
chooses not to testify in a criminal trial, neither the judge nor prosecution may
comment adversely on his/her decision. In addition, the defendant in a
criminal trial has the right to have the judge instruct the jury not to draw any
adverse inference from the defendant’s failure to testify. If a defendant accused
of a criminal act refused to comment during a custodial police interrogation,
neither the prosecutor nor the judge may comment on this fact at the later
criminal trial. If the defendant accused of a criminal act was silent before being
arrested, this fact may be commented on at the later criminal trial. In a civil
trial, either side may comment on a defendant’s decision not to testify.
From the information given above, it CANNOT be validly concluded that
a. If the defendant pleads self-defense to a murder charge but did not report
the killing until two weeks after it occurred, this fact can be commented on
at trial.
b. If the defendant pleads not guilty to a murder charge and refuses to talk to
police after being arrested, this fact cannot be commented on at trial.
c. If the defendant pleads not guilty at a civil trial for wrongful death and
decides not to testify in her own defense, this fact can be commented on.
d. If the defendant pleads not guilty at a civil trial in which he is being sued
because of aggravated assault, a judge may compel him to testify.
e. If the defendant is accused of murder but refuses to talk to police after
being arrested, this fact cannot be commented on at trial.
(Continued)
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EXHIBIT 5-3. Continued
23. States may not usurp the federal power over immigration. The Supreme Court
overturned an Arizona statute restricting alien employment because the
statute ran contrary to the implied intent of Congress that aliens who are
permitted to enter the country under federal immigration law be allowed to
earn a living. Similarly, the Court rejected state laws setting residency
requirements for aliens seeking welfare. The fact that federal legislation takes
precedence over every other type can, however, work against aliens, as well.
Federal courts have rejected an assertion that the immigration quota system is
inconsistent with the U.N. Charter. Moreover, aliens who have been excluded
from immigrating have no constitutional right to a hearing.
From the information given above, it can be validly concluded that the U.N. Charter
a. prohibits excluded aliens from having a hearing.
b. favors quotas for allowing aliens into the United States.
c. does not favor quotas for allowing aliens into the United States.
d. has many similarities to the U.S. Constitution.
e. supports residency requirements for aliens to receive welfare.
27. Assume the following statistics are true: A New York Times story reports that
this year, crimes by people under 18 have risen 47% over last year. U.S.A.
Today reports that this year, the number of homicides committed by children
under 12 has grown 125% since last year. Yet, Justice Department statistics
show that fewer than 40 children under the age of 13 (out of all such children
in the United States) were convicted of murder this year. 4% of newspapers
and TV programs are about children. Of those, 40% are concerned with children
in connection with crime and violence.
From the information given above, it can be validly concluded that, by the way
they report statistics
a. the news media gives an inaccurate picture of the actual number of children
involved in violent crimes.
b. the news media always downplays the numbers of children who are involved
in violent crimes.
c. the news media tends to give an accurate picture of the involvement of
children in violent crimes.
d. the news media has proven that children in general are less violent now
than they were 20 years ago.
e. the news media has proven that children in general are more violent now
than they were 20 years ago.
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THE SPANISH-LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY TEST
As reiterated throughout this book, all Border Patrol Agents are required
to know the Spanish language. Therefore, all applicants are required to
take either the Spanish-Language Proficiency Test or the ALT. If you
already know Spanish—including grammar and vocabulary, not just col-
loquial Spanish—you should obviously take the Spanish-Language Profi-
ciency Test. If you do not have a strong command of Spanish, you should
take the ALT.
The sample questions provided in the CBP’s Preparation Manual for the
U.S. Border Patrol Test will help you become familiar with both the type of
questions asked and the level of difficulty of the questions on the test.
(These can also help you decide which test you should take, if you’re not
sure of your knowledge of Spanish.) However, keep in mind that these ques-
tions cannot teach you Spanish—or even enough Spanish so that you can
pass the Border Patrol’s test; that is not what the sample questions are in-
tended to do. They are only intended to familiarize you with the type of
questions you will be asked on the test itself.
The Spanish Language Proficiency Test consists of 50 questions divided
into two parts:
1. vocabulary questions
2. grammar questions (this part of the test is divided into three types of
grammar questions)
Spanish Vocabulary Questions: Multiple Choice. The first part of the vo-
cabulary test consists of multiple-choice questions. To test your knowledge
of Spanish vocabulary, you will be asked to choose the most appropriate
synonym for a particular word; you’ll have five words from which to choose.
This part of the test includes 20 vocabulary questions. Exhibit 5-4 shows a
few examples from an actual test.
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EXHIBIT 5-4. Sample Vocabulary Questions from the
Spanish-Language Test
Find the suggested answer, of the five choices, that is closest in meaning to the key
(italicized) word.
31. Yo gocé de la película anoche.
a. aprendí de
b. defendí de
c. disfruté con
d. aburrí con
e. desagradé de
Find the suggested answer, of the five choices, that is closest in meaning to the key
(italicized) word.
35. En el camino encontramos a muchas familias mexicanas que iban a pasar el
domingo en Xochimilco.
a. entendemos
b. hallamos
c. pedimos
d. pegamos
e. esperamos
Find the suggested answer, of the five choices, that is closest in meaning to the key
(italicized) word.
42. ¿Donde está el almacén?
a. el mueble
b. la tienda
c. la cocina
d. la finca
e. la puerta
Find the suggested answer, of the five choices, that is closest in meaning to the key
(italicized) word.
45. Creo que no han llegado todavía.
a. demasiado
b. despacio
c. aún
d. antes
e. después
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Spanish Grammar Questions: Fill-in-the-Blanks. The grammar part of
the Spanish Language Proficiency Test consists of three types of questions.
The first set of grammar questions are in fill-in-the-blank format; there are
10 of these. Here, you will be asked to choose from five pairs of words or
phrases that would fill each blank space so that the sentence makes sense.
Exhibit 5-5 shows a few examples from this part of the Spanish grammar
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EXHIBIT 5-5. Sample Grammar Questions from the Spanish
Language Test
Fill-in-the-Blank Questions
Supply the correct words that should be used in place of the blanks within a
sentence.
51. Porque no _____ Ud. cuando _____ pregunté sobre la maleta?
a. contestaste, él
b. contestó, yo
c. contestó, él
d. grita, nosotros
e. escucharon, ellos
Supply the correct words that should be used in place of the blanks within a
sentence.
52. Yo _____ levanto _____ seis.
a. le, a las
b. te, a la
c. me, a las
d. se, a la
e. les, al
Supply the correct words that should be used in place of the blanks within a
sentence.
60. ¿Cuánto _____ una camisa _____?
a. valgo, nueva
b. vela, nueva
c. vale, nueva
d. vale, nuevo
e. vela, nuevo
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test. As you can see, you really need to know your grammar well—for exam-
ple, which nouns take feminine or masculine articles, when to use which
type of pronoun (subject pronouns, direct object pronouns, indirect object
pronouns, prepositional pronouns, and reflexive direct and indirect object
pronouns), the correct position of words in a sentence, verb conjugations,
and so on—in order to answer these questions correctly.
Fortunately, the U.S. Border Patrol’s Preparation Manual does provide
sample questions, with explanations regarding the correct answer and
why the other response choices were incorrect. Furthermore, the
LearningExpress book, The Border Patrol Exam, also provides a review of
some essential grammatical rules, which can help you prepare even more
for this part of the U.S. Border Patrol written exam.
Spanish Grammar Questions: Identifying Grammatically Incorrect
Sentences. There are 12 questions in the second set of Spanish grammar
questions. These questions will ask you to read carefully each of four sen-
tences (per question), and then select the one sentence that is grammati-
cally correct. Each of the other three sentences will be incorrect for some
reason—for example,
it uses an incorrect verb form
it has an illogical structure
it uses incorrect prepositions
it includes incorrect terms
it has misplaced clauses
the verb tenses don’t agree
Exhibit 5-6 shows you a few examples of this type of grammar question.
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Spanish Grammar Questions: Identifying the Right Word that Makes
Sense in a Sentence. The third and final set of grammar questions consists
of ten questions. Each question asks you to read a sentence carefully and
then select the correct word or phrase to replace the italicized word or
phrase of the sentence. You are given five possible responses from which to
choose. Exhibit 5-7 shows some examples of this type of question.
E
XHIBIT 5-6. Sample Grammar Questions on the Spanish Language Test
of the U.S. Border Patrol Exam
Identifying Grammatically Incorrect Sentences
61. Of the four choices given for each of the questions below, select the only one
that is correct.
a. Todo el mundo van al cine cada Sábado.
b. Yo piense que tú no tienes razón.
c. Es muy importante que los agentes sepan hablar espanol.
d. ¿De donde estás Usted?
65. Of the four choices given for each of the questions below, select the only one
that is correct.
a. ¿Quién es el mejor jugo del equipo de fútbol?
b. ¿Esperan Uds. ganar el campeonato el próximo año?
c. Suelo estudio en la tarde.
d. ¿Cómo se dice lo español?
69. Of the four choices given for each of the questions below, select the only one
that is correct.
a. Hay veinte repúblicas en la América Latina: México, las seis repúblicas de
Centro-américa, Cuba, Haití, Santo Domingo, y las diez repúblicas de
Sudamérica.
b. La ciudad de México está la capital de la república.
c. Chile es un país larga y estrecho.
d. La Carretera Panamericana es importante porque el comercio y porque la
defensa de las Américas.
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EXHIBIT 5-7. Sample Grammar Questions from the Spanish Language Test
Identifying the Correct Word that Makes Sense in a Sentence
Read each sentence carefully, and supply, from the five choices, the word that will
correctly replace the italicized word. If the italicized word is correct, choose
answer e.
71. No es posible lavar el boleto aquí.
a. cambiar
b. cocinar
c. abrazar
d. enojar
e. No es necesario hacer ninguna corrección.
Read each sentence carefully, and supply, from the five choices, the word that will
correctly replace the italicized word. If the italicized word is correct, choose
answer e.
73. ¿Quiere Ud. escribe al cine hoy, o tal vez mañana?
a. va
b. ir
c. ve
d. corre
e. No es necesario hacer ninguna corrección.
Read each sentence carefully, and supply, from the five choices, the word that will
correctly replace the italicized word. If the italicized word is correct, choose
answer e.
79. Tengo de estudiar para un examen de español.
a. pues
b. que
c. por
d. a
e. No es necesario hacer ninguna corrección.
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THE ARTIFICIAL LANGUAGE TEST (ALT)
If you are not proficient in Spanish (or if you speak some Spanish but do not
have a strong command of Spanish vocabulary and grammar), you should
take the Artificial Language Test (ALT) instead of the Spanish Language
Proficiency Test. The ALT is intended to test your ability to learn Spanish
(or any language, but since Spanish is the language that is required for U.S.
Border Patrol Agents, that’s all we’re concerned with here). You don’t need
to have any knowledge of any foreign language in order to do well on this
test; you only need to show that you can learn a language.
As its name says, the ALT is based on an artificial language—and al-
though this artificial language and this approach to testing may seem
bizarre to you, the OPM and the Border Patrol Academy have studied the
use of this test and determined it to be an extremely effective predictor
of success in learning Spanish at the Academy.
1
The artificial language fol-
lows language rules that are based on the grammatical structures of lan-
guages that are derived from Latin (commonly known as the Romance
languages), which include Italian, French, and of course Spanish (as well
as other languages).
Think of the artificial language as a code that you are trying to decipher.
The words themselves make no sense (after all, they’re completely made up;
for example, the word for dog might be boglek), but if you simply follow the
rules of the language, which the test will give you, you can break the code
and do well on the ALT.
Let’s take a look at this mysterious artificial language—so it won’t seem
so mysterious. Exhibits 5-8 and 5-9 are lists of vocabulary words similar
to what you will see on the test. (They’re actually the same list, organized
in different ways: Exhibit 5-8 lists them alphabetically by the English
word, and Exhibit 5-9 lists them alphabetically by the artificial-language
word.)
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EXHIBIT 5-8. Sample Word List from the ALT
Arranged Alphabetically by the English Word
ARTIFICIAL ARTIFICIAL
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE
a, an bex skillful janle
alien huslek that velle
and loa the wir
boy ekaplek this volle
country failek to be synker
difficult glasle to border regker
enemy avelek to cross chonker
friend kometlek to drive arker
from mor to escape pirker
government almanlek to guard bonker
he, him yev to have tulker
jeep daqlek to identify kalenker
legal colle to injure liaker
loyal inle to inspect zelker
man kaplek to shoot degker
of quea to spy tatker
paper trenedlek to station lexker
river browlek to work frigker
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EXHIBIT 5-9. Sample Word List from the ALT
Arranged Alphabetically by the Artificial Language Word
ARTIFICIAL ARTIFICIAL
LANGUAGE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ENGLISH
almanlek government kaplek man
arker to drive kometlek friend
avelek enemy lexker to station
bex a, an liaker to injure
bonker to guard loa and
browlek river mor from
chonker to cross pirker to escape
colle legal quea of
daqlek jeep regker to border
degker to shoot synker to be
ekaplek boy tatker to spy
failek country trenedlek paper
frigker to work tulker to have
glasle difficult velle that
huslek alien volle this
inle loyal wir the
janle skillful yev he, him
kalenker to identify zelker to inspect
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Becoming a BORDER PATROL AGENT
Now let’s look at a few examples to show how this language (or code)
works. As shown in the vocabulary list in Exhibit 5-8, the word for a in the
artificial language is bex, and the word for boy is ekaplek. Thus, a boy trans-
lates to bex ekaplek, just as you would translate it into other languages:
In Spanish, a boy is el niño.
In French, a boy is le garçon.
In Italian, a boy is il ragazzo.
In the artificial language, a boy is bex ekaplek.
See how easy it is? You simply need to follow the grammatical rules of the
artificial language, which are also provided on the test itself. Exhibit 5-10
shows a sample rule. Note, however, that this may not be one of the actual
rules you will be given on the written exam you take; instead, this rule is
simply an example of the type of information you will receive.
The ALT is composed of four parts:
Part 1 consists of 20 questions.
Part 2 consists of 10 questions.
Part 3 consists of 12 questions.
Part 4 consists of 8 questions.
EXHIBIT 5-10. Sample Grammatical Rule for the Artificial Language
Rule 1:
To form the feminine singular of a noun, a pronoun, or an adjective, add the suffix
–nef to the masculine singular form. Only nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and articles
take feminine endings in the Artificial Language. When gender is not specified, the
masculine form is used.
Example: If a male eagle is a verlek, then a female eagle is a verleknef.
If an ambitious man is a tosle man, an ambitious woman is a toslenef woman.
From Border Patrol Exam: The Complete Preparation Guide, Third Edition, page 66; New York: Learning
Express, LLC, 2006.
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Just as the Spanish Language Proficiency Test consists of 50 questions on
vocabulary and grammar, the ALT also consists of a total of 50 questions, all
of which are multiple-choice, with five answer choices each. Let’s look at
each part of the ALT individually.
ALT Part 1: 20 Questions. This part tests your ability to translate words
accurately, from English to the Artificial Language (and vice versa). Exhibit
5-11 shows two sample questions.
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EXHIBIT 5-11. Sample Questions from Part 1 of the ALT
31. Sentence Translation
She is an alien. Yev synem bex huslek.
12 3
a. Only the word numbered 1 is correctly translated.
b. Only the word numbered 2 is correctly translated.
c. Only the word numbered 3 is correctly translated.
d. Two or more of the numbered words are correctly translated.
e. None of the numbered words is correctly translated.
32. Sentence Translation
The guard is a friend. Wir bonlek synem bex kometlek.
12 3
a. Only the word numbered 1 is correctly translated.
b. Only the word numbered 2 is correctly translated.
c. Only the word numbered 3 is correctly translated.
d. Two or more of the numbered words are correctly translated.
e. None of the numbered words is correctly translated.
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ALT Part 2: 10 Questions. The questions on this part of the ALT test
your ability not only to translate words from English into the Artificial
Language but also to show other language skills—including (but not limited
to) these:
using the correct article (masculine or feminine) for each noun
using the correct noun form (whether it is singular or plural)
using the correct tense of a verb (present, past, future, and so on)
conjugating verbs correctly, to ensure that the form of the verb
matches the pronoun or noun
Exhibit 5-12 provides a couple of sample questions for this part of the ALT.
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EXHIBIT 5-12. Sample Questions from Part 2 of the ALT
51. The men and women who patrol and
a. kaplekoz loa kaplekferoz
b. kaplekoz loa kapleknefoz
c. kaplekae loa kapleknefae
d. kaplekae loa kaplekferae
e. kaplekoz bex kaplekferoz
52. guard the border have a complex and difficult job.
a. bonimoz wir reglek
b. bonimoz wir reglekoz
c. bonem wir reglek
d. bonker wir reglek
e. bonim wir reglek
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Preparing for the U.S. Border Patrol Agent Exam
ALT Part 3: 12 Questions. The questions in this part of the ALT test also
test your ability to choose the correct form of nouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs. Exhibit 5-13 shows two examples.
EXHIBIT 5-13. Sample Questions from Part 3 of the ALT
61. Velleoz (boys escaped).
a. ekaplekoz pirzotim
b. ekaplekoz pirkerim
c. ekaplekim pirzotim
d. ekaplekim pirkerim
e. ekaplekae pirzotim
62. Wir kapleknefoz (drove skillfully).
a. arzotnefim janlekinef
b. arzotnefim janlekinefoz
c. arzotim janlekinef
d. arzotim janleki
e. arzotim janlekinefoz
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ALT Part 4: 8 Questions. The questions in this final part of the ALT ask
you to translate a word or several words into the correct tense or form. Ex-
hibit 5-14 provides a couple of examples.
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EXHIBIT 5-14. Sample Questions from Part 4 of the ALT
79. Velle almanlek fertulem fercolleki zelzotem yevnef trenedlekoz. (negative
present tense singular—negative adverb—possessive feminine pronoun)
a. tulem—fercolleki—yevnef
b. fertulem—fercolleki—yevnef
c. tulem—fercolleki—yevnefae
d. fertulem—fercolleki—yevnefae
e. fertulem—fercollenefki—yevnefae
80. Vellenefoz fercolle huslekae deglekoz liazotim wir ekaplekoz. (negative feminine
plural adjective—possessive feminine plural noun—plural noun)
a. fercollenef—huslekae—deglekoz
b. fercolle—huslekae—deglekoz
c. fercolle—husleknefae—deglekoz
d. fercollenefoz—husleknefozae—deglekoz
e. fercollenefoz—husleknefozae—degleknefoz
HOW TO PREPARE FOR THE EXAM
As you can see from the examples provided in this chapter, the Border
Patrol Exam isn’t easy. Therefore, to prepare for the test, you should take
advantage of as much information you can find out about the test before
you take it, and you should answer as many practice questions as you can
find.
The Preparation Manual for the U.S. Border Patrol Test. This manual
is a 60-page PDF (which, again, you can download at this web site: www.tsa
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.gov/assets/pdf/soar/preparation_manual_bpa.pdf. Here’s a quick overview
of the information you can find in these 60 pages.
one page of test-taking tips
ten pages of information about the Logical Reasoning Test for example,
advice on educated guessing
how to read the questions so you can interpret them correctly
when answering
insight into various types of questions (such as questions that ask
you about all people, situations, or events—or the opposite: none
or not questions—and reasoning based on if-then questions)
a three-page Logical Reasoning practice test, consisting of eight
practice questions for this part of the exam
four pages of explanation of the correct (and incorrect) answers on
the Logical Reasoning practice test
six pages of 16 sample questions for the Spanish Language Profi-
ciency Test (four questions from each of the vocabulary and three
grammar sections); since explanations of the correct and incorrect an-
swers for each question are given immediately following the question,
this is not a true practice test)
33 pages (about half of the Preparation Manual) devoted to the Artifi-
cial Language Test; including
the vocabulary lists
the grammar rules
a glossary of grammatical terms (as a refresher course to what you
learned in grade-school and high-school English)
a six-page practice test comprising 50 questions (the same number
that will be featured on your actual test)
18 pages of detailed explanations about the correct and incorrect
answers for each of the 50 questions
LearningExpress’s Border Patrol Exam: The Complete Preparation
Guide. If you feel you need more information and help preparing and
studying for the exam than the CBP’s free download provides, consider get-
ting a copy of one of the many test-prep guides available. In addition to
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ours, described here, others are listed in Appendix C. Our book contains
180 pages of information (prepared with the assistance of a Border Patrol
Agent with 13 years’ experience) including
study schedules, depending on how much time you have before you
take the test
information on process-of-elimination techniques and educated
guessing, to help you answer questions
extensive guidelines on how to tackle each part of the test
sample questions for each part of the test, with very detailed explana-
tions of the correct and incorrect answers
two complete practice exams (30 pages each, comparable to what the
actual test looks like), with sample answer sheets
24 pages of detailed explanations of the correct and incorrect answers
to each question on both exams (12 pages of explanation for each
exam)
free access to an online Border Patrol practice exam, which you can
take at www.learningexpressfreeoffer.com, with a pass code you will
receive in the copy of the book you buy
free access to your score on that online test, which will show you in
which areas of the test you need to study more and spend more time
preparing for that part of the exam
Good luck!
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A HISTORY OF THE U.S. BORDER PATROL
THERE HAS been a border patrol in the United States for about
200 years, although the organization as we now know it wasn’t formed until
1924. The unofficial border patrol in the early 1800s was intended to pro-
tect landowners in Texas along the border with Mexico. But curiously, the
first group of illegal immigrants that the United States sought to limit were
the Chinese, at the end of the nineteenth century. This final chapter pro-
vides details on those events in the history of the Border Patrol—and more.
You don’t really need to know anything in this chapter in order to apply to or
be hired by the Border Patrol, but if you’re interested in how the agency has
evolved, read on!
CHAPTER six
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THE FIRST BORDER PATROL AGENTS: THE TEXAS RANGERS
The first border patrolmen (and they were men) in the United States were
the Texas Rangers, who starting protecting the border between Texas and
Mexico in the early 1800s, because there was no regular army to protect the
300 or so families who had settled near the Gulf of Mexico.
1
Stephen Austin
(who was known as the father of Texas) created the first corps of border pa-
trollers in 1823, and he was the one who first called them Rangers, because
their duties required them to range over the entire country.
In 1836, the Congress of the Texas Republic (which existed from 1836 to
1845) passed a law enabling its president, Sam Houston, to create a battal-
ion of 280 mounted riflemen to protect the frontier. Up until 1840, the
Rangers typically protected against Indians. But in 1842, President Houston
approved a law for a company of mounted men to act as Rangers on the
state’s Mexican border.
In 1861, Texas seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy, but
it was readmitted to the United States in 1870. In 1874, the Texas Rangers
were organized into six companies, with 75 men per company; they pa-
trolled across Texas, partly as soldiers and partly as police officers.
The Texas Rangers still exist today, but they are part of the Texas Depart-
ment of Public Safety, which is a state-level law-enforcement organization.
THE FIRST IMMIGRATION LAWS
It was also during the 1880s that Congress first started passing laws limiting
immigration, to stop the flow of what seems to us today an unusual group of
immigrants: the Chinese, who came to this country to work, and threatened
our own labor market because they worked cheaply. During the first 100
years after the United States was formed, the country hadn’t been much
concerned with protecting its borders. But from the 1880s on, border secu-
rity would become more of an issue.
Interestingly, the term alien first surfaced during the discussion on
whether to pass the Fouteenth Amendment (proposed in 1866 and rati-
fied in 1868) to the U.S. Constitution. This amendment is one of the
post-Civil War Reconstruction Amendments, and its original intent was
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to secure the rights of former slaves. Section 1 of the Amendment states
as follows:
All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject
to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of
the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any
law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of
the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life,
liberty, or prosperity, without due process of law; nor deny to any
person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
2
Ironically, the rights of Native Americans were ignored. In 1884, the
Supreme Court ruled that the children born to Native American parents
were not citizens, even if they were born in the United States.
TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS IN THE HISTORY
OF U.S. BORDER PROTECTION
Here’s a timeline of key events in the history of border protection in the
United States:
3
1875: The Right to Regulate Immigration. The U.S. Supreme
Court ruled that the federal government had the exclusive right to
regulate immigration.
1882–1891: First Laws Limiting Immigration. Congress started
passing laws severely limiting immigration, including the Chinese
Exclusion Act of 1882, which was intended to protect the U.S. labor
market from the Chinese and other groups of cheap labor. The Im-
migration Act of 1882 charged a tax on every immigrant and pre-
vented the entry of convicts, idiots, lunatics, and persons likely to become a
public charge. The list of persons who were excluded expanded quickly, and
immigration law became increasingly complex.
4
In 1885 and 1887, Congress passed two Alien Contract Labor
laws to further bar certain workers from immigrating. The increas-
ingly restrictive laws prompted a growing number of migrants to
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attempt illegal entry, creating the need for an official border-control
presence.
In 1891, a federal agency was created to administer immigration
laws. This agency evolved into the Immigration and Naturalization
Service (the INS) in 1933.
1904: First Inspectors to Patrol U.S. Borders. The U.S. Immigra-
tion Service assigned a few mounted inspectors to patrol the border
to prevent illegal crossings. Because they were really just a token
force and because they had no real training in border patrol, these of-
ficers weren’t very effective: authorities were unable to stem the tide
of illegal aliens crossing U.S. borders.
1915: Increased Number of Border Guards. In March 1915, Con-
gress authorized a separate group of inspectors, called mounted
guards or mounted inspectors, who operated from El Paso, Texas.
There were only about 75 of these at any one time, and they rode on
horseback and patrolled as far west as California. The focus of these
inspectors was the Chinese immigrants who were trying to avoid the
Chinese Exclusion laws passed 33 years earlier.
1917: Restricting Immigration. In an attempt to restrict the num-
ber of immigrants entering the United States, the country passed the
Immigration Act of 1917, which placed a head tax of $8 on each im-
migrant and required all immigrants to pass a literacy test. Section 8
of this act also prohibited smuggling, harboring, concealing, or assist-
ing a migrant who was not properly admitted by an immigration in-
spector or not lawfully entitled to enter or reside in the United
States.
Before this act was passed, Mexicans and Canadians were able to
cross into the United States at will and without restrictions. During
the Mexican Revolution and World War I (1910–1920), troops sta-
tioned along the border had greatly reduced illegal border activity.
After World War I, however, with the soldiers gone, illegal immi-
grant crossings increased.
1920: Prohibition and Illegal Smuggling of Alcohol. On January
16, 1920, Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S.
Constitution, prohibiting the importation, transport, manufacture, or
sale of alcoholic beverages; this was the beginning of Prohibition. Al-
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though this might not seem related to what we think of nowadays as a
border issue, smuggling liquor into the country from both Canada
and Mexico actually demanded most of the attention of the Border
Patrol effort at this time. Bootleggers smuggled alcohol from Mexico
by crossing the Rio Grande River, not over the bridges, but with pack
mules.
1921 and 1924: New Laws to Restrict Immigration from Eu-
rope. Congress passed new Immigration Acts because of increasing
concern that there would be a huge wave of immigrants coming from
Europe—people who were trying to escape the ravages wrought by
The Great War (which we now know as World War I). Unfortu-
nately, these limits on lawful immigration also led to increased unlaw-
ful immigration.
1924: Creation of the Border Patrol. On May 28, 1924, Congress
established the U.S. Border Patrol as part of the Immigration Bureau,
an arm of the Department of Labor. This Patrol recruited many of
the early force of 450 officers from the Texas Rangers and local sher-
iffs and their deputies, because they knew the land and the dangers it
presented. These Agents received a badge, a revolver, and an annual
salary of $1,680. Recruits provided their own horses and saddles (al-
though the U.S. government did supply oats and hay for the horses).
In December 1924, Congress authorized the purchase of uniforms
for the Border Patrol.
This small group of officers was responsible for enforcing Section
8 of the Immigration Act of 1917, which (as stated above) prohibited
smuggling, harboring, concealing, or assisting a migrant who was not
duly admitted by an immigration officer or not lawfully entitled to
enter or reside in the United States. This was really the beginning of the
Border Patrol as we know it today.
1925: Expansion of Border Patrol Areas. Patrol areas were ex-
panded to include more than 2,000 miles of seacoast extending along
the Gulf and Florida coasts.
1932: Focus on Mexico and Canada. The Border Patrol was placed
under the authority of two directors. One was in charge of the Mexi-
can border office at El Paso, Texas; the other was in charge of the
Canadian border office at Detroit, Michigan.
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1933: Creation of the INS. The INS was created from the federal
agency formed in 1891. Originally part of the U.S. Department of La-
bor, it was later moved to the Justice Department. In March 2003, the
INS was absorbed into and replaced by the U.S. Citizenship and Im-
migration Services (USCIS), which currently comprises 15,000 fed-
eral employees and contractors who work in approximately 250 offices
around the world, and who are primarily responsible for the administra-
tion of immigration and naturalization adjudication functions and establish-
ing immigration services policies and priorities.
5
The USCIS is part of the
Department of Homeland Security, which was created in 2002.
1934: Recognition of the Need for Border Patrol Training. The
first Border Patrol Academy opened at Camp Chigas in El Paso,
Texas, because the Border Patrol recognized that formal training was
needed; 34 trainees attended classes in marksmanship and horseman-
ship. Because Border Patrol Agents typically work in and patrol
rugged terrain and need quick and quiet transportation, horses re-
main essential transportation for agents even to the present day.
World War II: Increased Number of Border Patrol Agents. The
Border Patrol added 712 agents and 57 auxiliary personnel, bringing
the force to 1,531 officers, to allay the American public’s fears that
aliens would undermine the country’s security and try to enter the
United States. During the war, the Border Patrol provided tighter
control of the border, worked in alien detention camps, guarded
diplomats, and assisted the U.S. Coast Guard in searching for enemy
spies. It was also during the war that the Border Patrol began to use
aircraft, which became an integral part of operations.
1942: Mexican Nationals Invited to Immigrate to Work as Farm
Laborers. On August 4, 1942, the United States made an agreement
with Mexico to provide for the importation of Mexican nationals be-
cause U.S. farm laborers had entered the military or had found jobs in
the expanding war industry during World War II. This had created an
acute labor shortage in agriculture, and food production was critical to
the war effort. But the importation of alien labor did not end when the
war ended, and over the next 14 years, the U.S. agricultural industry
imported laborers from Mexico, the British West Indies, and Canada.
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1952: Deportation of Mexican Immigrants. The U.S. government
airlifted 52,000 illegal immigrants back to the Mexican interior, be-
cause citizen groups alleged that the huge number of illegal migrants,
especially in the California and Rio Grande Valley areas along the
Mexican border, was responsible for the growing violent crime rate.
1952: New Classification of Immigrants. The Immigration and
Nationality Act of 1952 (INA) was passed. It continues to be the basic
immigration law in the United States, although it has changed con-
siderably since it was enacted. Essentially, the INA originally defined
three types of immigrants:
1. immigrants with special skills or relatives of U.S. citizens who
were exempt from quotas and who were to be admitted without
restrictions
2. average immigrants whose numbers were not to exceed 270,000
per year
3. refugees
Also, the INA allowed the U.S. government to deport immigrants
or naturalized citizens engaged in subversive activities, and to prevent
suspected subversives from entering the United States.
Late 1950s to Early 1960s: Border Patrol Agents First Assigned
to Airplanes. Because significant numbers of illegal migrants began
entering the United States on private aircraft, President John F.
Kennedy ordered Border Patrol Agents to accompany domestic
flights to prevent takeovers by hijackers. During this time period, the
Border Patrol also began assisting other agencies in intercepting ille-
gal drugs en route from Mexico.
1980s to 1990s: Use of Better Technology. Because of a tremendous
increase in illegal immigration to the United States, the Border Patrol
increased its staffing and implemented more current technology, includ-
ing infrared night-vision scopes, seismic sensors, and a modern com-
puter processing system, all of which helped the Border Patrol locate,
apprehend, and process those crossing into the United States illegally.
1990: Immigration Law Reform. The Immigration Act of 1990 sig-
nificantly reformed U.S. immigration laws by allocating visas among
foreign countries more evenly than in the past, and by fostering
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increased legal immigration to the United States. It also opened a lot-
tery program that assigns approximately 50,000 visas each year to peo-
ple born in countries with low immigration rates to the United States.
1993: Operation Hold the Line. Border Patrol agents and technol-
ogy were concentrated in specific areas, providing a show of force to
deter illegal border crossings near El Paso, Texas. Then the Border
Patrol expanded this effort to San Diego, California, which ac-
counted for more than half of illegal entries.
1994: Operation Gatekeeper. This operation was implemented in
San Diego, California, and reduced illegal entries there by more than
75% over the next few years.
THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT
OF HOMELAND SECURITY
On October 8, 2001, five weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks on New York
City and Washington, DC, President Bush created the White House Office
of Homeland Security. A year later, on November 19, 2002, Congress
passed legislation mandating the Department of Homeland Security; the
DHS became operational three months after that, on January 24, 2003; and
most agencies comprising the new department merged on March 1, 2003.
The Border Patrol was one of the agencies folded into the newly created
Department of Homeland Security.
This was the largest reorganization of the federal government since the
U.S. Department of Defense was created 60 years ago, in 1947. The DHS
merged 22 agencies, including the U.S. Customs Service (which had been
part of the Treasury Department) and the INS (which had been part of the
Justice Department). The functions of those agencies are now handled by
CBP: The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency, which has
responsibility for inspection of borders and ports of entry
ICE: The U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement Agency,
which has responsibility for customs law enforcement and immigra-
tion law enforcement, including detention and removal of illegal
aliens, as well as intelligence and investigations.
6
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Homeland Security leverages resources within federal, state, and local
governments, coordinating the transition of multiple agencies into a single,
integrated agency that is focused on protecting the United States and its cit-
izens. More than 87,000 different governmental jurisdictions at the federal,
state, and local level have homeland security responsibilities.
7
Exhibit 6-1
lists the major components that currently comprise the DHS.
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A History of the U.S. Border Patrol
EXHIBIT 6-1. Components of the Department of Homeland Security
The Directorate for National Protection and Programs works to advance
the Department’s risk-reduction mission. Reducing risk requires an
integrated approach that encompasses both physical and virtual threats
and their associated human elements.
The Directorate for Science and Technology is the primary research and
development arm of the Department. It provides federal, state, and local
officials with the technology and capabilities to protect the homeland.
The Directorate for Management is responsible for Department budgets
and appropriations, expenditure of funds, accounting and finance,
procurement, human resources, information technology systems,
facilities and equipment, and the identification and tracking of
performance measurements.
The Office of Policy is the primary policy formulation and coordination
component for the Department of Homeland Security. It provides a
centralized, coordinated focus to the development of Department-wide,
long-range planning to protect the United States.
The Office of Health Affairs coordinates all medical activities of the
Department of Homeland Security to ensure appropriate preparation for
and response to incidents having medical significance.
The Office of Intelligence and Analysis is responsible for using
information and intelligence from multiple sources to identify and assess
current and future threats to the United States.
The Office of Operations Coordination is responsible for monitoring the
security of the United States on a daily basis and coordinating activities
within the Department and with governors, Homeland Security Advisors,
law-enforcement partners, and critical infrastructure operators in all 50
states and more than 50 major urban areas nationwide.
(Continued)
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EXHIBIT 6-1. Continued
The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center provides career-long training
to law enforcement professionals to help them fulfill their
responsibilities safely and proficiently.
The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office works to enhance the nuclear
detection efforts of federal, state, territorial, tribal, and local
governments, and the private sector, and to ensure a coordinated
response to such threats.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) protects the nation’s
transportation systems to ensure freedom of movement for people and
commerce.
United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for
protecting our nation’s borders in order to prevent terrorists and
terrorist weapons from entering the United States, while facilitating the
flow of legitimate trade and travel.
United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is responsible
for the administration of immigration and naturalization adjudication
functions and establishing immigration services policies and priorities.
United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the largest
investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible
for identifying and shutting down vulnerabilities in the nation’s border,
economic, transportation, and infrastructure security.
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) protects the public, the
environment, and U.S. economic interests in the nation’s ports and
waterways, along the coast, on international waters, or in any maritime
region as required to support national security.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) prepares the nation
for hazards, manages federal response and recovery efforts following any
national incident, and administers the National Flood Insurance Program.
The United States Secret Service protects the president and other high-
level officials and investigates counterfeiting and other financial crimes,
including financial institution fraud, identity theft, computer fraud, and
computer-based attacks on our nation’s financial, banking, and
telecommunications infrastructure.
From www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/.
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107
Colleges and Universities That Offer
Four-year Bachelor’s Degrees in
Criminal Justice and
Law Enforcement
1
Listed alphabetically by state and then by college or university
Appendix A
Alabama
Columbia Southern University
Orange Beach, AL
www.columbiasouthern.edu
Judson College
Marion, AL
www.judson.edu
Samford University*
Birmingham, AL
www.samford.edu
Virginia College at Huntsville
Huntsville, AL
www.vc.edu
Alaska
None that offer BA degrees
Arizona
Arizona State University* West
Phoenix, AZ
www.west.asu.edu
Northcentral University
Prescott Valley, AZ
www.ncu.edu
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ
www.nau.edu
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ
www.arizona.edu
University of Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ
www.phoenix.edu
An * denotes a college included in The Best 366 Colleges, 2008 Edition, published by
The Princeton Review.
BPA_03_097-158.qxd:Becoming series 2/19/09 1:16 PM Page 107
Arkansas
University of Arkansas, Fort Smith
Fort Smith, AR
www.uafortsmith.edu
California
California Baptist University
Riverside, CA
www.calbaptist.edu
California State University
www.calstate.edu
Dominguez Hills Campus
Carson, CA
www.csudh.edu
East Bay Campus
Hayward, CA
www.csueastbay.edu
Los Angeles Campus
Los Angeles, CA
www.calstatela.edu
San Bernardino Campus
San Bernardino, CA
www.csusb.edu
National University
San Diego, CA
www.nu.edu
San Diego State University
San Diego, CA
www.sdsu.edu
Sonoma State University*
Rohnert Park, CA
www.sonoma.edu
Westwood College of Technology
Los Angeles, CA
www.westwood.edu
Colorado
Johnson & Wales University
Denver, CO
www.jwu.edu
Metropolitan State College of Denver
Denver, CO
www.mscd.edu
University of Colorado, Colorado
Springs
Colorado Springs, CO
www.uccs.edu
Westwood College of Technology,
Denver South
Denver, CO
www.westwood.edu
Connecticut
Sacred Heart University
Fairfield, CT
www.sacredheart.edu
University of New Haven
West Haven, CT
www.newhaven.edu
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Delaware
None that offer BA degrees
District of Columbia
Trinity Washington University
Washington, DC
www.trinitydc.edu
Florida
Bethune-Cookman University
Daytona Beach, CA
www.cookman.edu
Edward Waters College
Jacksonville, FL
www.ewc.edu
Everest University, Brandon
Tampa, FL
www.everest.edu
Johnson & Wales University, North
Miami
North Miami, FL
www.jwu.edu
Keiser University
Fort Lauderdale, FL (Main Campus)
www.keiseruniversity.edu
Lynn University
Boca Raton, FL
www.lynn.edu
Remington College, Tampa
Tampa, FL
www.remingtoncollege.edu/tampa
Southeastern University
Lakeland, FL
www.seuniversity.edu
Georgia
Bauder College
Atlanta, GA
www.bauder.edu
Georgia College and State
University
Milledgeville, GA
www.gcsu.edu
Hawaii
Hawaii Pacific University
Honolulu, HI
www.hpu.edu
University of Hawaii, West Oahu
Pearl City, HI
www.uhwo.edu
Idaho
Boise State University
Boise, ID
www.boisestate.edu
Illinois
Bradley University*
Peoria, IL
www.bradley.edu
Concordia University
Chicago, IL
www.cuchicago.edu
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Eureka College
Eureka, IL
www.eureka.edu
Greenville College
Greenville, IL
www.greenville.edu
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL
www.lewisu.edu
Millikin University
Decatur, IL
www.millikin.edu
Southern Illinois University,
Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
www.siu.edu
Western Illinois University
Moline, IL
www.wiu.edu
Western Illinois University, Quad
Cities
Moline, IL
www.wiu.edu/qc
Westwood College of Technology
Chicago, IL
www.westwood.edu
Indiana
Indiana Business College
Fort Wayne Campus
Fort Wayne, IN
www.ibcshools.edu
Indianapolis Campus
Indianapolis, IN
www.ibcschools.edu
Muncie Campus
Muncie, IN
www.ibcschools.edu
Indiana Institute of Technology
Fort Wayne, IN
www.indianatech.edu
Indiana University-Purdue
University, Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN
www.iupui.edu
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN
www.purdue.edu
Purdue University, Calumet
Hammond, IN
www.calumet.purdue.edu
University of Indianapolis
Indianapolis IN
www.uindy.edu
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Iowa
Briar Cliff University
Sioux City, IA
www.briarcliff.edu
Kaplan University, Mason City
Mason City, IA
www.kucampus.edu
Mount Mercy College
Cedar Rapids, IA
www.mtmercy.edu
Kansas
Central Christian College of Kansas
McPherson, KS
www.centralchristian.edu
MidAmerica Nazarene University
Olathe, KS
www.mnu.edu
Newman University
Wichita, KS
www.newmanu.edu
Washburn University
Topeka, KS
www.washburn.edu
Kentucky
Beckfield College
Florence, KY
www.beckfield.edu
Bellarmine University*
Louisville, KY
www.bellarmine.edu
Campbellsville University
Campbellsville, KY
www.campbellsville.edu
Thomas More College
Crestview Hills, KY
www.thomasmore.edu
Union College
Barbourville, KY
www.unionky.edu
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
www.louisville.edu
Louisiana
Louisiana College
Pineville, LA
www.lacollege.edu
Southwest University
Kenner, LA
www.southwest.edu
Maine
Husson College
Bangor, ME
www.husson.edu
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Thomas College
Waterville, ME
www.thomas.edu
University of Maine*
Augusta, ME
www.uma.edu
Maryland
Frostburg State University
Frederick, MD
www.frostburg.edu
Massachusetts
American International College
Springfield, MA
www.aic.edu
Lasell College
Newton, MA
www.lasell.edu
Newbury College
Boston, MA
www.newbury.edu
Salem State College
Salem, MA
www.salemstate.edu
Springfield College
Springfield, MA
www.spfldcol.edu
Suffolk University*
Boston, MA
www.suffolk.edu
University of Massachusetts*
Amherst, MA
www.umass.edu
Michigan
Concordia University
Ann Arbor, MI
www.cuaa.edu
Grand Valley State University
Allendale, MI
www.gvsu.edu
Lake Superior State University
Sault Ste. Marie, MI
www.lssu.edu
Michigan State University*
East Lansing, MI
www.msu.edu
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI
www.udmercy.edu
University of Michigan, Flint
Flint, MI
www.umflint.edu
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Minnesota
Concordia University, St. Paul
St. Paul, MN
www.csp.edu
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mankato, MN
www.mnsu.edu
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
www.smumn.edu
Southwest Minnesota State
University
Marshall, MN
www.southwest.msus.edu
Winona State University
Winona, MN
www.winona.edu
Mississippi
Mississippi College
Clinton, MS
www.mc.edu
University of Mississippi*
Lafayette, MS
www.olemiss.edu
Missouri
Central Methodist University
Fayette, MO
www.centralmethodist.edu
Columbia College
Columbia, MO
www.ccis.edu
Culver-Stockton College
Canton, MO
www.culver.edu
Grantham University
Kansas City, MO
www.grantham.edu
Hannibal-LaGrange College
Hannibal, MO
www.hlg.edu
Harris-Stowe State University
St. Louis, MO
www.hssu.edu
Lincoln University
Jefferson City, MO
www.lincolnu.edu
Missouri Southern State University
Joplin, MO
www.mssu.edu
Missouri Valley College
Marshall, MO
www.moval.edu
Park University
Parkville, MO
www.park.edu
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Saint Louis University*
St. Louis, MO
www.slu.edu
Southwest Baptist University
Bolivar, MO
www.sbuniv.edu
University of Central Missouri
Warrensburg, MO
www.ucmo.edu
University of Missouri, Kansas City
Kansas City, MO
www.umkc.edu
Montana
None that offer BA degrees
Nebraska
Bellevue University
Bellevue, NE
www.bellevue.edu
Dana College
Blair, NE
www.dana.edu
Peru State College
Peru, NE
www.peru.edu
Nevada
None that offer BA degrees
New Hampshire
Granite State College
Concord, NH
www.granite.edu
Hesser College
Manchester, NH (and other
campuses)
www.hesser.edu
New Jersey
The College of New Jersey*
Ewing, NJ
www.tcnj.edu
Georgian Court University
Lakewood, NJ
www.georgian.edu
Kean University
Union, NJ
www.kean.edu
Rutgers, The State University of
New Jersey*
New Brunswick, NJ
www.rutgers.edu
Thomas Edison State College
Trenton, NJ
www.tesc.edu
New Mexico
Western New Mexico University
Silver City, NM
www.wnmu.edu
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New York
Adelphi University
Garden City, NY
www.adelphi.edu
City University of New York, John
Jay College of Criminal Justice
New York, NY
www.jjay.cuny.edu
College of Saint Rose
Albany, NY
www.strose.edu
Iona College
New Rochelle, NY
www.iona.edu
Keuka College
Keuka Park, NY
www.keuka.edu
Long Island University, C.W. Post
Campus
Brookville, NY
www.liu.edu
Marist College*
Poughkeepsie, NY
www.marist.edu
Mercy College
New York, NY (and other campuses)
www.mercycollege.edu
Molloy College
Rockville Centre, NY
www.molloy.edu
Monroe College
Bronx, NY (and other campuses)
www.monroecollege.edu
New York Institute of Technology
New York, NY (and other campuses)
www.nyit.edu
Pace University
New York, NY
www.pace.edu
Roberts Wesleyan College
Rochester, NY
www.roberts.edu
Rochester Institute of Technology*
Rochester, NY
www.rit.edu
Sage College of Albany
Troy and Albany, NY
www.sage.edu
St. John’s University*
Queens, NY
www.stjohns.edu
St. Thomas Aquinas College
Sparkill, NY
www.stac.edu
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State University of New York, Canton
Canton, NY
www.canton.edu
North Carolina
Brevard College
Brevard, NC
www.brevard.edu
Catawba College*
Salisbury, NC
www.catawba.edu
Chowan University
Murfreesboro, NC
www.chowan.edu
Miller-Motte Technical College
Wilmington, NC
www.miller-motte.com
North Carolina Central University
Durham, NC
www.nccu.edu
Surry Community College
Dobson, NC
www.surry.edu
North Dakota
University of Mary
Bismarck, ND
www.umary.edu
Ohio
Ashland University
Ashland, OH
www.ashland.edu
Cedarville University
Cedarville, OH
www.cedarville.edu
Heidelberg College
Tiffin, OH
www.heidelberg.edu
Lake Erie College
Painesville, OH
www.lec.edu
Ohio Northern University*
Ada, OH
www.onu.edu
Tiffin University
Tiffin, OH
www.tiffin.edu
Union Institute & University
Cincinnati, OH
www.tui.edu
University of Findlay
Findlay, OH
www.findlay.edu
Urbana University
Urbana, OH
www.urbana.edu
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Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
www.ysu.edu
Oklahoma
Mid-America Christian University
Oklahoma City, OK
www.macu.edu
Northeastern State University
Tahlequah, OK
www.nsuok.edu
Oklahoma City University
Oklahoma City, OK
www.okcu.edu
Rogers State University
Claremore, OK
www.rsu.edu
Oregon
Portland State University
Portland, OR
www.pdx.edu
Southern Oregon University
Ashland, OR
www.sou.edu
Western Oregon University
Monmouth, OR
www.wou.edu
Pennsylvania
Alvernia College
Reading, PA
www.alvernia.edu
Chestnut Hill College
Philadelphia, PA
www.chc.edu
Delaware Valley College
Doylestown, PA
www.delval.edu
Drexel University*
Philadelphia, PA
www.drexel.edu
Gwynedd-Mercy College
Gwynedd Valley, PA
www.gmc.edu
Keystone College
La Plume, PA
www.keystone.edu
Lock Haven University of
Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, PA
www.lhup.edu
Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Mansfield, PA
www.mansfield.edu
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Marywood University
Scranton, PA
www.marywood.edu
Penn State
www.psu.edu
Abington Campus
Abington, PA
www.abington.psu.edu
Altoona Campus
Altoona, PA
www.aa.psu.edu
Beaver Campus
Monaca, PA
www.br.psu.edu
Berks Campus
Reading, PA
www.bk.psu.edu
Brandywine Campus
Media, PA
www.brandywine.psu.edu
DuBois Campus
DuBois, PA
www.ds.psu.edu
Erie, The Behrend College
Campus
Erie, PA
www.erie.psu.edu
Fayette, The Eberly Campus
Uniontown, PA
www.fe.psu.edu
Greater Allegheny Campus
McKeesport, PA
www.ga.psu.edu
Hazleton Campus
Hazleton, PA
www.hn.psu.edu
Lehigh Valley Campus
Fogelsville, PA
www.lv.psu.edu
Mont Alto Campus
Mont Alto, PA
www.ma.psu.edu
New Kensington Campus
New Kensington, PA
www.nk.psu.edu
Schuylkill Campus
Schuylkill Haven, PA
www.sl.psu.edu
Shenango Campus
Sharon, PA
www.shenango.psu.edu
University Park (Main Campus)*
University Park, PA
www.psu.edu
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Wilkes-Barre Campus
Lehman, PA
www.wb.psu.edu
Worthington Scranton Campus
Dunmore, PA
www.sn.psu.edu
York Campus
Yo r k , PA
www.yk.psu.edu
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA
www.pointpark.edu
University of Pittsburgh
Bradford Campus
Bradford, PA
www.upb.pitt.edu
Greensburg Campus
Greensburg, PA
www.upg.pitt.edu
Villanova University
Villanova, PA
www.villanova.edu
Waynesburg University
Waynesburg, PA
www.waynesburg.edu
York College of Pennsylvania
Yo r k , PA
www.ycp.edu
Puerto Rico
Interamerican University of Puerto
Rico
www.inter.edu
Barranquitas Campus
Barranquitas, PR
www.br.inter.edu
Guayama Campus
Guayama, PR
www.guayama.inter.edu
Ponce Campus
Ponce, PR
www.ponce.inter.edu
Universidad Metropolitana
Cupey, PR
www.suagm.edu
Universidad del Este
Carolina, PR
www.suagm.edu
University of Puerto Rico, Carolina
Regional College
Carolina, PR
www.uprc.edu
Rhode Island
Johnson & Wales University,
Providence
Providence, RI
www.jwu.edu
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Roger Williams University
Bristol, RI
www.rwu.edu
Salve Regina University
Newport, RI
www.salve.edu
South Carolina
Anderson University
Anderson, SC
www.andersonuniversity.edu
The Citadel, The Military College of
South Carolina
Charleston, SC
www.citadel.edu
Claflin University
Orangeburg, SC
www.claflin.edu
Limestone College
Gaffney, SC
www.limestone.edu
Morris College
Sumter, SC
www.morris.edu
South Carolina State University
Orangeburg, SC
www.scsu.edu
South University
Columbia, SC
www.southuniversity.edu
University of South Carolina*
Columbia, SC
www.sc.edu
South Dakota
None that offer BA degrees
Tennessee
Austin Peay State University
Clarksville, TN
www.apsu.edu
East Tennessee State University
Johnson City, TN
www.etsu.edu
Lambuth University
Jackson, TN
www.lambuth.edu
Middle Tennessee State University
Murfreesboro, TN
www.mtsu.edu
University of Memphis
Memphis, TN
www.memphis.edu
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University of Tennessee
Chattanooga Campus
Chattanooga, TN
www.utc.edu
Martin Campus
Martin, TN
www.utm.edu
Texas
Abilene Christian University
Abilene, TX
www.acu.edu
Concordia University at Austin
Austin, TX
www.concordia.edu
Lubbock Christian University
Lubbock, TX
www.lcu.edu
Texas A&M University, Commerce
College Station, TX
www.tamu.edu
Texas College
Tyler, TX
www.texascollege.edu
Texas Southern University
Houston, TX
www.tsu.edu
University of Houston-Victoria
Victoria, TX
www.uhv.edu
University of Mary Hardin-Baylor
Belton, TX
www.umhb.edu
University of Texas
Brownsville Campus
Brownsville, TX
www.utb.edu
Pan American Campus
Edinburg, TX
www.utpa.edu
West Texas A&M University
Canyon, TX
www.wtamu.edu
Wiley College
Marshall, TX
www.wileyc.edu
Utah
Utah Valley University (formerly Utah
Valley State College)
Orem, UT
www.uvu.edu
Vermont
None that offer BA degrees
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Virginia
Averett University
Danville, VA
www.averett.edu
Bluefield College
Bluefield, VA
www.bluefield.edu
Hampton University*
Hampton, VA
www.hampton.edu
Virginia Commonwealth University
Richmond, VA
www.vcu.edu
Virginia Intermont College
Bristol, VA
www.vic.edu
Washington
None that offer BA degrees
West Virginia
American Public University System
Charles Town, WV
www.apus.edu
Fairmont State University
Fairmont, WV
www.fairmontstate.edu
Mountain State University
(formerly called The College of
West Virginia)
Beckley, WV
www.mountainstate.edu
West Virginia Wesleyan College
Buckhannon, WV
www.wvwc.edu
Wisconsin
Lakeland College
Sheboygan, WI
www.lakeland.edu
Marian College of Fond du Lac
Fond du Lac, WI
www.mariancollege.edu
University of Wisconsin, Platteville
Platteville, WI
www.uwplatt.edu
Wyoming
None that offer BA degrees
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123
Colleges and Universities That Offer
Four-year Bachelor’s Degrees in
Criminal Justice Studies
1
Listed alphabetically by state and then by college or university
Appendix B
Alabama
Alabama State University
Montgomery, AL
www.alasu.edu
Andrew Jackson University
Birmingham, AL
www.aju.edu
Athens State University
Athens, AL
www.athens.edu
Auburn University at Montgomery
Montgomery, AL
www.aum.edu
Faulkner University
Montgomery, AL
www.faulkner.edu
Jacksonville State University
Jacksonville, AL
www.jsu.edu
Troy University
Tr oy, A L
www.troy.edu
University of Alabama
Tuscaloosa, AL
www.ua.edu
University of Alabama,
Birmingham
Birmingham, AL
www.uab.edu
University of South Alabama
Mobile, AL
www.usouthal.edu
An * denotes a college included in The Best 366 Colleges, 2008 Edition, published by The
Princeton Review.
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Alaska
University of Alaska, Fairbanks
Fairbanks, AK
www.uaf.edu
Arizona
Arizona State University*
Tempe, AZ
www.asu.edu
Everest College, Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ
www.everest.edu
Grand Canyon University
Phoenix, AZ
www.gcu.edu
Northern Arizona University
Flagstaff, AZ
www.nau.edu
University of Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ
www.phoenix.edu
Arkansas
Harding University
Searcy, AR
www.harding.edu
Southern Arkansas University
Magnolia, AR
www.saumag.edu
University of Arkansas
www.uark.edu
Little Rock Campus
Little Rock, AR
www.ualr.edu
Monticello Campus
Monticello, AR
www.uamont.edu
Pine Bluff Campus
Pine Bluff, AR
www.uapb.edu
California
California State University
www.calstate.edu
Bakersfield Campus
Bakersfield, CA
www.csub.edu
Chico Campus
Chico, CA
www.csuchico.edu
Fullerton Campus
Fullerton, CA
www.fullerton.edu
Long Beach Campus
Long Beach, CA
www.csulb.edu
Sacramento Campus
Sacramento, CA
www.csus.edu
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Stanislaus Campus*
Turlock, CA
www.csustan.edu
National University
San Diego, CA
www.nu.edu
San Francisco State University
San Francisco, CA
www.sfsu.edu
San Jose State University
San Jose, CA
www.sjsu.edu
Westwood College: South Bay
Torrance, CA
www.westwood.edu
Colorado
Mesa State College
Grand Junction, CO
www.mesastate.edu
Metropolitan State College of
Denver
Denver, CO
www.mscd.edu
Remington College, Colorado
Springs
Colorado Springs, CO
www.remingtoncollege.edu
University of Northern Colorado
Greeley, CO
www.univnorthco.edu
Western State College of Colorado
Gunnison, CO
www.western.edu
Connecticut
Albertus Magnus College
New Haven, CT
www.albertus.edu
Briarwood College
Southington, CT
www.briarwood.edu
Quinnipiac University*
Hamden, CT
www.quinnipiac.edu
Delaware
Delaware State University
Dover, DE
www.desu.edu
University of Delaware
Newark, DE
www.udel.edu
Wilmington University
New Castle, DE
www.wilmu.edu
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District of Columbia
American University*
Washington, D.C.
www.american.edu
George Washington University*
Washington, D.C.
www.gwu.edu
Florida
Everest University (formerly Florida
Metropolitan University, or FMU)
Lakeland Campus
Lakeland, FL
www.everest.edu
Tampa Campus
Tampa, FL
www.fmu.edu
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical
University
Tallahassee, FL
www.famu.edu
Florida Atlantic University
Boca Raton, FL (and other locations)
www.fau.edu
Florida Gulf Coast University
Fort Myers, FL
www.fgcu.edu
Florida International University
Miami, FL
www.fiu.edu
Hodges University
Naples and Ft. Myers, FL
www.hodges.edu
Miami Dade College
Homestead, FL
www.mdc.edu
Nova Southeastern University
Ft. Lauderdale and Davie, FL
www.nova.edu
Remington College, Largo
Largo, FL
www.remingtoncollege.edu
St. Leo University
Saint Leo, FL
www.saintleo.edu
Saint Thomas University
Miami Gardens, FL
www.stu.edu
Southwest Florida College
Ft. Myers and Tampa, FL
www.swfc.edu
University of Central Florida*
Orlando, FL
www.ucf.edu
University of North Florida
Jacksonville, FL
www.unf.edu
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University of South Florida*
Tampa, FL (and other Campuses)
www.usf.edu
University of West Florida
Pensacola, FL
www.uwf.edu
Georgia
Albany State University
Albany, GA
www.asurams.edu
Ashworth University
Norcross, GA
www.ashworthuniversity.edu
Augusta State University
Augusta, GA
www.aug.edu
Clark Atlanta University
Atlanta, GA
www.cau.edu
Columbus State University
Columbus, GA
www.colstate.edu
Georgia Southern University
Statesboro, GA
www.georgiasouthern.edu
Georgia State University
Atlanta, GA
www.gsu.edu
Kennesaw State University
Kennesaw, GA
www.kennesaw.edu
Mercer University
Macon, GA
www.mercer.edu
Piedmont College
Demorest Athens, GA
www.piedmont.edu
Thomas University
Thomasville, GA
www.thomasu.edu
University of Georgia*
Athens, GA
www.uga.edu
Valdosta State University
Valdosta, GA
www.valdosta.edu
Hawaii
Remington College, Honolulu
Honolulu, HI
www.remingtoncollege.edu
Idaho
Lewis-Clark State College
Lewiston, ID
www.lcsc.edu
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University of Idaho*
Moscow, ID
www.uidaho.edu
Illinois
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
www.aurora.edu
Blackburn College
Carlinville, IL
www.blackburn.edu
Concordia University
Chicago, IL
www.cuchicago.edu
Governors State University
University Park, IL
www.govst.edu
Illinois State University
Normal, IL
www.ilstu.edu
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL
www.lewisu.edu
Loyola University Chicago*
Chicago, IL
www.luc.edu
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL
www.neiu.edu
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL
www.olivet.edu
Quincy University
Quincy, IL
www.quincy.edu
Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL
www.roosevelt.edu
St. Xavier University
Chicago, IL
www.sxu.edu
Southern Illinois University,
Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL
www.siue.edu
University of Illinois
www.uillinois.edu
Chicago Campus
Chicago, IL
www.uic.edu
Springfield Campus
Springfield, IL
www.uis.ed
Westwood College of Technology
DuPage Campus
Woodridge, IL
www.westwood.edu
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O’Hare Airport Campus
Chicago, IL
www.westwood.edu
Indiana
Anderson University
Anderson, IN
www.anderson.edu
Ball State University
Muncie, IN
http://cms.bsu.edu
Butler University
Indianapolis, IN
www.butler.edu
Grace College
Winona Lake, IN
www.grace.edu
Indiana Institute of Technology
Fort Wayne, IN (Main Campus)
www.indianatech.edu
Indiana University
Bloomington Campus*
Bloomington, IN
www.iub.edu
East Campus
Richmond, IN
www.iue.edu
Kokomo Campus
Kokomo, IN
www.iuk.edu
Northwest Campus
Gary, IN
www.iun.edu
South Bend Campus
South Bend, IN
www.iusb.edu
Indiana University-Purdue
University, Indianapolis
Indianapolis, IN
www.iupui.edu
Indiana Wesleyan University
Marion, IN
www.indwes.edu
Oakland City University
Bedford, IN
www.oak.edu
Saint Joseph’s College
Rensselaer, IN
www.saintjoe.edu
Taylor University Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, IN
www.fw.taylor.edu
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Trine University (formerly known as
Tri-State University)
Angola, IN
www.tristate.edu
Iowa
Buena Vista University
Storm Lake, IA
www.bvu.edu
Graceland University
Lamoni, IA
www.graceland.edu
Grand View College
Des Moines, IA
www.gvc.edu
Iowa Wesleyan College
Mount Pleasant, IA
www.iwc.edu
Kaplan University, Davenport
Davenport, IA
www.kuCampus.edu
Loras College
Dubuque, IA
www.loras.edu
St. Ambrose University
Davenport, IA
www.sau.edu
Simpson College
Indianola, IA
www.simpson.edu
University of Dubuque
Dubuque, IA
www.dbq.edu
Upper Iowa University
Fayette, IA
www.uiu.edu
William Penn University
Oskaloosa, IA
www.wmpenn.edu
Kansas
Bethany College
Lindsborg, KS
www.bethanylb.edu
Fort Hays State University
Hays, KS
www.fhsu.edu
Kansas Wesleyan University
Salina, KS
www.kwu.edu
Southwestern College
Winfield, KS
www.sckans.edu
Washburn University
Topeka, KS
www.washburn.edu
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Wichita State University
Wichita, KS
www.wichita.edu
Kentucky
Kentucky State University
Frankfort, KY
www.kysu.edu
Kentucky Wesleyan College
Owensboro, KY
www.kwc.edu
Lindsey Wilson College
Columbia, KY
www.lindsey.edu
Murray State University
Murray, KY
www.murraystate.edu
Northern Kentucky University
Highland Heights, KY
www.nku.edu
Pikeville College
Pikeville, KY
www.pc.edu
Louisiana
Grambling State University
Grambling, LA
www.gram.edu
Louisiana State University,*
Shreveport
Shreveport, LA
www.lsus.edu
Loyola University New Orleans*
New Orleans, LA
www.loyno.edu
McNeese State University
Lake Charles, LA
www.mcneese.edu
Southeastern Louisiana University
Hammond, LA
www.selu.edu
Southern University, New Orleans
New Orleans, LA
www.suno.edu
Southern University and A&M
College
Baton Rouge, LA
www.subr.edu
University of Louisiana, Lafayette*
Lafayette, LA
www.louisiana.edu
University of Louisiana, Monroe
Monroe, LA
www.nlu.edu
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Maine
Husson College
Bangor, ME
www.husson.edu
St. Joseph’s College
Standish, ME
www.sjcme.edu
Thomas College
Waterville, ME
www.thomas.edu
Maryland
Coppin State University
Baltimore, MD
www.coppin.edu
Mount St. Mary’s University
Emmitsburg, MD
www.msmary.edu
University of Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
www.ubalt.edu
Massachusetts
American International College
Springfield, MA
www.aic.edu
Anna Maria College
Paxton, MA
www.annamaria.edu
Bay Path College
Longmeadow, MA
www.baypath.edu
Becker College
Worcester, MA
www.becker.edu
Bridgewater State College
Bridgewater, MA
www.bridgew.edu
Curry College
Milton, MA
www.curry.edu
Endicott College
Beverly, MA
www.endicott.edu
Fitchburg State College
Fitchburg, MA
www.fsc.edu
Mount Ida College
Newton, MA
www.mountida.edu
Nichols College
Dudley, MA
www.nichols.edu
Northeastern University*
Boston, MA
www.neu.edu
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University of Massachusetts, Boston
Boston, MA
www.bu.edu
Western New England College
Springfield, MA
www.wnec.edu
Westfield State College
Westfield, MA
www.wsc.mass.edu
Worcester State College
Worcester, MA
www.worcester.edu
Michigan
Adrian College
Adrian, MI
www.adrian.edu
Madonna University
Livonia, MI
www.madonna.edu
Michigan State University*
East Lansing, MI
www.msu.edu
Northern Michigan University
Marquette, MI
www.nmu.edu
Olivet College
Olivet, MI
www.olivetcollege.edu
Saginaw Valley State University
Saginaw, MI
www.svsu.edu
Siena Heights University
Adrian, MI
www.sienaheights.edu
University of Detroit Mercy
Detroit, MI
www.udmercy.edu
Wayne State University
Detroit, MI
www.wayne.edu
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo, MI
www.wmich.edu
Minnesota
Bemidji State University
Bemidji, MN
www.bemidjistate.edu
Brown College
Mendota Heights, MN
www.browncollege.edu
Concordia University, St. Paul
St. Paul, MN
www.csp.edu
Gustavus Adolphus College*
Saint Peter, MN
www.gustavus.edu
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Hamline University
Saint Paul, MN
www.hamline.edu
Metropolitan State University
St. Paul, MN
www.metrostate.edu
Minnesota State University,
Moorhead
Moorhead, MN
www.mnstate.edu
Northwestern College
St. Paul, MN
www.nwc.edu
Saint Cloud State University
St. Cloud, MN
www.stcloudstate.edu
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
www.smumn.edu
Winona State University
Winona MN
www.winona.edu
Mississippi
Alcorn State University
Lorman, MS
www.alcorn.edu
Delta State University
Cleveland, MS
www.deltastate.edu
Jackson State University
Jackson, MS
www.jsums.edu
Mississippi Valley State University
Itta Bena, MS
www.mvsu.edu
University of Southern Mississippi
Hattiesburg, MS
www.usm.edu
Missouri
Evangel University
Springfield, MO
www.evangel.edu
Lindenwood University
St. Charles, MO
www.lindenwood.edu
Missouri Baptist University
St. Louis, MO
www.mobap.edu
Missouri Western State University
St. Joseph, MO
www.missouriwestern.edu
Truman State University*
Kirksville, MO
www.truman.edu
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Montana
Montana State University, Billings
Billings, MT
www.msubillings.edu
University of Great Falls
Great Falls, MT
www.ugf.edu
Nebraska
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE (Main Campus)
www.unl.edu
Kearney Campus
Kearney, NE
www.unk.edu
Omaha Campus
Omaha, NE
www.unomaha.edu
Wayne State College
Wayne, NE
www.wsc.edu
Nevada
None that offer BA degrees
New Hampshire
Franklin Pierce University
Rindge, NH
www.franklinpierce.edu
Granite State College
Concord, NH
www.granite.edu
New England College
Henniker, NH
www.nec.edu
Plymouth State University
Plymouth, NH
www.plymouth.edu
St. Anselm College*
Manchester, NH
www.anselm.edu
New Jersey
Caldwell College
Caldwell, NJ
www.caldwell.edu
Centenary College
Hackettstown, NJ
www.centenarycollege.edu
Fairleigh Dickinson University,
Metropolitan Campus
Teaneck, NH
www.fdu.edu
Monmouth University*
West Long Branch, NJ
www.monmouth.edu
Rowan University
Glassboro, NJ
www.rowan.edu
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Rutgers, The State University of
New Jersey
www.rutgers.edu
Camden Regional Campus
Camden, NJ
www.camden.rutgers.edu
Newark Regional Campus
Newark, NJ
www.rutgers-newark.rutgers.edu
Seton Hall University*
South Orange, NJ
www.shu.edu
Thomas Edison State College
Trenton, NJ
www.tesc.edu
New Mexico
University of the Southwest
Hobbs, NM
www.usw.edu
Eastern New Mexico University
Portales, NM
www.enmu.edu
New Mexico Highlands University
Las Vegas, NM
www.nmhu.edu
New Mexico State University
Las Cruces, NM
www.nmsu.edu
Western New Mexico University
Silver City, NM
www.wnmu.edu
New York
Alfred University*
Alfred, NY
www.alfred.edu
Berkeley College of New York City
New York, NY
www.berkeleycollege.edu
Canisius College
Buffalo, NY
www.canisius.edu
Cazenovia College
Cazenovia, NY
www.cazenovia.edu
Elmira College
Elmira, NY
www.elmira.edu
Excelsior College
Albany, NY
www.excelsior.edu
Fordham University*
Bronx, NY
www.fordham.edu
Hilbert College
Hamburg, NY
www.hilbert.edu
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Niagara University
Niagara University, NY
www.niagara.edu
Russell Sage College
Troy and Albany, NY
www.sage.edu/rsc
St. Francis College
Brooklyn Heights, NY
www.stfranciscollege.edu
State University of New York
www.suny.edu
Albany Campus*
Albany, NY
www.albany.edu
College at Buffalo*
Buffalo, NY
www.buffalo.edu
College at Fredonia
Fredonia, NY
www.fredonia.edu
College at Oneonta
Oneonta, NY
www.oneonta.edu
College at Plattsburgh
Plattsburgh, NY
www.plattsburgh.edu
College at Potsdam
Potsdam, NY
www.potsdam.edu
Institute of Technology at Utica/
Rome
Utica, NY
www.sunyit.edu
Utica College
Utica, NY
www.utica.edu
North Carolina
Appalachian State University
Boone, NC
www.appstate.edu
Barton College
Wilson, NC
www.barton.edu
Belmont Abbey College
Belmont, NC
www.belmontabbeycollege.edu
Campbell University
Buies Creek, NC
www.campbell.edu
East Carolina University
Greenville, NC
www.ecu.edu
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Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City, NC
www.ecsu.edu
Elon University*
Elon, NC
www.elon.edu
Fayetteville State University
Fayetteville, NC
www.uncfsu.edu
Guilford College*
Greensboro, NC
www.guilford.edu
High Point University
High Point, NC
www.highpoint.edu
Lees-McRae College
Banner Elk, NC
www.lmc.edu
Livingstone College
Salisbury, NC
www.livingstone.edu
Methodist University
Fayetteville, NC
www.methodist.edu
Mount Olive College
Greensboro, NC
www.moc.edu
North Carolina Wesleyan College
Rocky Mount, NC
www.ncwc.edu
Pfeiffer University
Misenheimer, NC
www.pfeiffer.edu
St. Augustine’s College
Raleigh, NC
www.st-aug.edu
Shaw University
Raleigh, NC
www.shawuniversity.edu
University of North Carolina
www.northcarolina.edu
Charlotte Campus
Charlotte, NC
www.unnc.edu
Pembroke Campus
Pembroke, NC
www.uncp.edu
Wilmington Campus
Wilmington, NC
www.uncwil.edu
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC
www.wcu.edu
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Winston-Salem State University
Winston Salem, NC
www.wssu.edu
North Dakota
Jamestown College
Jamestown, ND
www.jc.edu
Minot State University
Minot, ND
www.minotstateu.edu
North Dakota State University
Fargo, ND
www.ndsu.edu
University of Mary
Bismarck, ND
www.umary.edu
University of North Dakota*
Grand Forks, ND
www.und.edu
Ohio
Baldwin-Wallace College
Berea, OH
www.bw.edu
Bluffton University
Bluffton, OH
www.bluffton.edu
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH
www.bgsu.edu
Central State University
Wilberforce, OH
www.centralstate.edu
Kent State University
Kent, OH
www.kent.edu
Lourdes College
Sylvania, OH
www.lourdes.edu
Mount Vernon Nazarene University
Mount Vernon, OH
www.mvnu.edu
Ohio Dominican University
Columbus, OH
www.ohiodominican.edu
Ohio Northern University*
Ada, OH
www.onu.edu
Ohio University
www.ohio.edu
Chillicothe Campus
Chillicothe, OH
www.chillicothe.ohiou.edu
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Southern Campus, Ironton
Ironton, OH
www.southern.ohiou.edu
Union Institute & University
Cincinnati, OH
www.tui.edu
University of Akron
Akron, OH
www.uakron.edu
University of Cincinnati*
Cincinnati, OH
www.uc.edu
University of Dayton*
Dayton, OH
www.udayton.edu
University of Toledo
Toledo, OH
www.utoledo.edu
Urbana University
Urbana, OH
www.urbana.edu
Xavier University*
Cincinnati, OH
www.xavier.edu
Youngstown State University
Youngstown, OH
www.ysu.edu
Oklahoma
Cameron University
Duncan, OK
www.cameron.edu
East Central University
Ada, OK
www.ecok.edu
Southeastern Oklahoma State
University
Durant, OK
www.sosu.edu
Southwestern Oklahoma State
University
Weatherford, OK
www.swosu.edu
University of Central Oklahoma
Edmond, OK
www.ucok.edu
Oregon
Pioneer Pacific College
Wilsonville, OR (Main Campus)
www.pioneerpacificcollege.edu
Portland State University
Portland, OR
www.pdx.edu
Southern Oregon University
Ashland, OR
www.sou.edu
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Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg University of
Pennsylvania
Bloomsburg, PA
www.bloomu.edu
California University of Pennsylvania
California, PA
www.cup.edu
Central Pennsylvania College
Summerdale, PA
www.centralpenn.edu
DeSales University
Center Valley, PA
www.desales.edu
Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
Edinboro, PA
www.edinboro.edu
Gannon University
Erie, PA
www.gannon.edu
Holy Family University
Philadelphia, PA
www.holyfamily.edu
Immaculata University
Immaculata, PA
www.immaculata.edu
Keystone College
La Plume, PA
www.keystone.edu
King’s College
Wilkes-Barre, PA
www.kings.edu
Kutztown University of Pennsylvania
Kutztown, PA
www.kutztown.edu
La Roche College
Pittsburgh, PA
www.laroche.edu
La Salle University
Philadelphia, PA
www.lasalle.edu
Lincoln University
Lincoln University, PA
www.lincoln.edu
Lycoming College
Williamsport, PA
www.lycoming.edu
Mercyhurst College
Erie, PA
www.mercyhurst.edu
Messiah College
Grantham, PA
www.messiah.edu
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Moravian College*
Bethlehem, PA
www.moravian.edu
Mount Aloysius College
Cresson, PA
www.mtaloy.edu
Neumann College
Aston, PA
www.neumann.edu
Penn State
www.psu.edu
Abington Campus
Abington, PA
www.abington.psu.edu
Altoona Campus
Altoona, PA
www.aa.psu.edu
Beaver Campus
Monaca, PA
www.br.psu.edu
Berks Campus
Reading, PA
www.bk.psu.edu
Brandywine Campus
Media, PA
www.brandywine.edu
DuBois Campus
DuBois, PA
www.ds.psu.edu
Erie, The Behrend College
Campus
Erie, PA
www.erie.psu.edu
Fayette, The Eberly Campus
Uniontown, PA
www.fe.psu.edu
Greater Allegheny Campus
McKeesport, PA
www.ga.psu.edu
Harrisburg Campus
Harrisburg, PA
www.hbg.psu.edu
Hazleton Campus
Hazleton, PA
www.hn.psu.edu
Lehigh Valley Campus
Foglesville, PA
www.lv.psu.edu
Mont Alto Campus
Mont Alto, PA
www.ma.psu.edu
New Kensington Campus
New Kensington, PA
www.nk.psu.edu
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Schuylkill Campus
Schuylkill Haven, PA
www.sl.psu.edu
Shenango Campus
Sharon, PA
www.shenango.edu
Wilkes-Barre Campus
Lehman, PA
www.wb.psu.edu
Worthington Scranton Campus
Dunmore, PA
www.sn.psu.edu
York Campus
Yo r k , PA
www.yk.psu.edu
Point Park University
Pittsburgh, PA
www.pointpark.edu
Rosemont College
Rosemont, PA
www.rosemont.edu
Seton Hill University
Greensburg, PA
www.setonhill.edu
Shippensburg University
Shippensburg, PA
www.ship.edu
Temple University*
Philadelphia, PA
www.temple.edu
Thiel College
Greenville, PA
www.thiel.edu
University of Scranton*
Scranton, PA
www.scranton.edu
West Chester University of
Pennsylvania
West Chester, PA
www.wcupa.edu
Westminster College*
New Wilmington, PA
www.westminster.edu
Wilkes University
Wilkes-Barre, PA
www.wilkes.edu
Puerto Rico
Interamerican University of
Puerto Rico
Aguadilla Campus
Aguadilla, PR
www.aguadilla.inter.edu
Arecibo Campus
Arecibo, PR
www.arecibo.inter.edu
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Fajardo Campus
Fajardo, PR
www.fajardo.inter.edu
Metro Campus
Rio Piedras, PR
www.metro.inter.edu
Universidad Metropolitana
Cupey, PR
www.suagm.edu
Rhode Island
Rhode Island College
Providence, RI
www.ric.edu
South Carolina
Charleston Southern University
Charleston, SC
www.csuniv.edu
Southern Wesleyan University
Central, SC
www.swu.edu
University of South Carolina Upstate
Spartanburg, SC
www.uscupstate.edu
South Dakota
Dakota Wesleyan University
Mitchell, SD
www.dwu.edu
Mount Marty College
Yankton, SD
www.mtmc.edu
University of South Dakota*
Vermillion, SD
www.usd.edu
Tennessee
Cumberland University
Lebanon, TN
www.cumberland.edu
Freed-Hardeman University
Henderson, TN
www.fhu.edu
Lane College
Jackson, TN
www.lanecollege.edu
Tennessee State University
Nashville, TN
www.tnstate.edu
University of Tennessee, Knoxville*
Knoxville, TN
www.utk.edu
Texas
Angelo State University
San Angelo, TX
www.angelo.edu
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Dallas Baptist University
Dallas, TX
www.dbu.edu
Hardin-Simmons University
Abilene, TX
www.hsutx.edu
Huston-Tillotson University
Austin, TX
www.htu.edu
Jarvis Christian College
Hawkins, TX
www.jarvis.edu
Lamar University
Beaumont, TX
www.lamar.edu
Midwestern State University
Wichita Falls, TX
www.mwsu.edu
Our Lady of the Lake University
San Antonio, TX
www.ollusa.edu
Prairie View A&M University
Prairie View, TX
www.pvamu.edu
St. Edward’s University
Austin, TX
www.stedwards.edu
St. Mary’s University
San Antonio, TX
www.stmarytx.edu
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX
www.shsu.edu
Southwestern Adventist University
Keene, TX
www.swau.edu
Stephen F. Austin State University
Nacogdoches, TX
www.sfasu.edu
Sul Ross State University
Alpine, TX
www.sulross.edu
Tarleton State University
Stephenville, TX
www.tarleton.edu
Texas A&M University
www.tamu.edu
Commerce Campus
Commerce, TX
www.tamu-commerce.edu
Texarkana Campus
Texarkana, TX
www.tamut.edu
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Texas Christian University*
Fort Worth, TX
www.tcu.edu
Texas State University, San Marcos
San Marcos, TX
www.txstate.edu
Texas Woman’s University
Denton, TX (and other Campuses)
www.twu.edu
University of Houston, Downtown
Houston, TX
www.uhd.edu
University of Texas
Arlington Campus
Arlington, TX
www.uta.edu
El Paso Campus
El Paso, TX
www.utep.edu
San Antonio Campus
San Antonio, TX
www.utsa.edu
Tyler Campus
Tyler, TX
www.uttyler.edu
Permian Basin Campus
Odessa, TX
www.utpb.edu
Wayland Baptist University
Plainview, TX
www.wbu.edu
Utah
Southern Utah University
Cedar City, UT
www.suu.edu
Weber State University
Ogden, UT
www.weber.edu
Vermont
Castleton State College
Castleton, VT
www.csc.vsc.edu
Champlain College
Burlington, VT
www.champlain.edu
Norwich University
Northfield, VT
www.norwich.edu
Virginia
Ferrum College
Ferrum, VA
www.ferrum.edu
Liberty University
Lynchburg, VA
www.liberty.edu
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Longwood University
Farmville, VA
www.longwood.edu
Marymount University
Arlington, VA
www.marymount.edu
Radford University
Radford, VA
www.runet.edu
Roanoke College
Salem, VA
www.roanoke.edu
St. Paul’s College
Lawrenceville, VA
www.saintpauls.edu
University of Richmond*
Richmond, VA
www.richmond.edu
University of Virginia’s College at
Wise
Wise, VA
www.wise.virginia.edu
Virginia Wesleyan College
Norfolk, VA
www.vwc.edu
Washington
Central Washington University
Ellensburg, WA
www.cwu.edu
Gonzaga University*
Spokane, WA
www.gonzaga.edu
Saint Martin’s University
Lacey, WA
www.stmartin.edu
Seattle University*
Seattle, WA
www.seattleu.edu
West Virginia
Bluefield State College
Bluefield, WV (and other Campuses)
www.bluefieldstate.edu
Fairmont State University
Fairmont, WV
www.fairmontstate.edu
Marshall University
Huntington, WV
www.marshall.edu
Mountain State University (formerly
The College of West Virginia)
Beckley, WV (and other Campuses)
www.mountainstate.edu
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Salem International University
Salem, WV
www.salemu.edu
West Liberty State College
West Liberty, WV
www.westliberty.edu
Wheeling Jesuit University
Wheeling, WV
www.wju.edu
Wisconsin
Carroll College
Waukesha, WI
www.cc.edu
Concordia University Wisconsin
Mequon, WI
www.cuw.edu
Edgewood College
Madison, WI
www.edgewood.edu
Mount Mary College
Milwaukee, WI
www.mtmary.edu
University of Wisconsin
www.uwsa.edu
Eau Claire Campus
Eau Claire, WI
www.uwec.edu
Madison Campus*
Madison, WI
www.wisc.edu
Milwaukee Campus
Milwaukee, WI
www.uwm.edu
Parkside Campus
Kenosha, WI
www.uwp.edu
Superior Campus
Superior, WI
www.uwsuper.edu
Viterbo University
La Crosse, WI
www.viterbo.edu
Wyoming
University of Wyoming*
Laramie, WY
www.uwyo.edu
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149
Additional Sources of Information:
Websites and Print Resources
WEBSITES
www.cpb.gov
The website of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agency.
www.dhs.gov
The Department of Homeland Security website.
www.opm.gov
The Office of Personnel Management website.
www.opm.gov/veterans
Information for veterans.
https://cbpmhc.hr-services.org/BPA
Visit this site to check for open positions in the Border Patrol.
https://cbpmhc.hr-services.org/BPA/
See this site for the online application to become a Border Patrol Agent.
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/fitness_requirements
Log onto this website for a detailed explanation of the proper form for
each of these three pre-employment fitness tests you will be required to
take. (This website also links to a 17-minute audio presentation that de-
scribes each test in detail and then gives you time to practice each test as it
will actually be administered.)
Appendix C
BPA_03_097-158.qxd:Becoming series 2/19/09 1:16 PM Page 149
http://www.dhs.gov/xabout/careers/
This site provides information on other careers within the Department of
Homeland Security (in addition to that of Border Patrol Agent, if you de-
cide that the CBP is not the right agency for you).
www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/mservice.htm
Visit this website to determine if you are eligible for a veterans’ preference.
(This site will ask you a series of questions, at the end of which it will calculate
how many points you may have toward your score for when you apply and are
tested for nonmilitary law-enforcement jobs, such as Border Patrol Agent.)
www.honorfirst.com
This is an unofficial Border Patrol recruiting website, managed by a highly
regarded former Border Patrol Agent. (Current and former Border Patrol
Agents recommend this site because it consolidates real-world information
regarding testing, positions, academy schedules, and pay and benefits, and
even includes an online message board, moderated by active Border Patrol
Agents, to talk to real agents or with other applicants.)
www.nbpc1613.org
This is the official website of the largest Border Patrol Agents Association
(National Border Patrol Council Local 1613, San Diego, CA). It provides in-
formation on the latest workplace issues affecting Border Patrol Agents, pay,
legislation, and general inside information regarding the work of agents.
www.opm.gov/qualifications/SEC-II/s2-e5.asp
This site provides detailed information on SAA, the Superior Academic
Achievement requirement, to see if you might qualify to be hired at the GL-7
level instead of the GL-5 level of Border Patrol Agent.
www.tsa.gov/assets/pdf/soar/preparation_manual_bpa.pdf
This website offers a Preparation Manual for the U.S. Border Patrol Test you
can download.
www.bpspouses.com
This free site managed by the spouse of a current Border Patrol Agent pro-
vides just about all information you would need regarding life as the spouse
of a Border Patrol Agent.
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PRINT RESOURCES
Preparation Manual for the U.S. Border Patrol Test, U.S. Department of
Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection.
Border Patrol Exam, Fourth Edition, New York: Learning Express, LLC,
2008.
Patrolling Chaos: The U.S. Border Patrol in Deep South Texas, Robert Lee
Maril, Texas Tech University Press, 2006. This 368-page book fo-
cuses on one station, with 300 agents. Over a two-year period, it
follows 12 typical agents, men and women, as they go about their
regular 10-hour patrols along the border. It describes the daily
challenges and risks they face and the perspectives and insights they
hold as a result of their extensive, first-hand experience with the
hard realities of immigration policy, the war on drugs, and the
threat of terrorist infiltration. The author writes about the surveil-
lance and apprehension of thousands of undocumented workers,
drug interdictions involving huge quantities of marijuana and co-
caine, the deaths of illegal immigrants by drowning and as a result
of high-speed chases, corruption among law enforcers, and other
events that shape the work lives of agents. The book also describes
the impact of the 9/11 attacks on border security and on the per-
sonal lives of the Agents and their families.
The Closing of the American Border: Terrorism, Immigration, and Security
since 9/11, Edward Alden, Harper, 2008. This book was written by
the former Washington bureau chief of The Financial Times news-
paper and was reviewed by Publisher’s Weekly (a publishing trade
magazine) as “a thoughtful and balanced assessment of border secu-
rity and immigration policies before and after the terrorist attacks
on September 11, 2001, demonstrating how more stringent secu-
rity can damage the U.S. economy by discouraging trade, tourism
and an influx of bright minds and diligent workers.”
Border Patrol Agent: Test Preparation and Study Guide, Jack Rudman, Na-
tional Learning Corp., 2001.
151
Additional Sources of Information
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153
INTRODUCTION WHY YOU NEED THIS BOOK
1. “Border Patrol to hire 6,000 by end of 2008,” Amanda Miller,
www.armytimes.com/careers/second_careers/military_border-
patrol_070530.
2. “Military.com Q&A with the U.S. Border Patrol,” answer from
Border Patrol Agent Noel Quinones, www.military.com/careers/
content1?file=border_patrolqa.htm&area=Content.
3. Amanda Miller, op. cit.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. “Military.com Q&A with the U.S. Border Patrol,” answer from
Border Patrol Agent Bruce Cooke, www.military.com/careers/
content1?file=border_patrolqa.htm&area=Content.
7. Ibid.
8. “Border Patrol looks to military to fill ranks,” Brady McCombs,
Arizona Daily Star, May 25, 2007.
9. “Your Career as a Border Patrol Agent,” www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/
careers/customs_careers/border_careers/bp_agent/.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. “Border Patrol Academy expands,” Jacques Belleaud, AP writer,
www.navytimes.com.
13. Brady McCombs, op. cit.
14. Ibid.
15. “Border Patrol: 2,000 new agents the limit,” Lara Jakes Jordan,
AP, Bakersfield Californian, May 24, 2005, www.freerepublic.com.
16. “CBP Border Patrol Encourages Women, Minorities to Join,”
www.cbp.gov, July 9, 2007.
Endnotes
BPA_03_097-158.qxd:Becoming series 2/19/09 1:16 PM Page 153
17. Timeline of Immigration to U.S. 1815-1950; www.ellisisland
immigrants.org/ellis_island_immigrants.htm.
18. “Estimated number of illegal immigrants in U.S.,” Pew His-
panic Center, www.cnn.com/interactive/us/0603/charts.immigration/
content.1.html.
19. “Illegal immigrant population down,” Stephen Dinan, The Wash-
ington Times, October 2, 2008.
20. “Number of illegal immigrants hits 12M,” Stephen Ohlemacher,
Breitbart.com, March 7, 2006.
21. Ibid.
22. “Illegal immigrants in the U.S.: How many are there?” Brad
Knickerbocker, The Christian Science Monitor, May 16, 2006.
23. Lara Jakes Jordan, op. cit.
CHAPTER ONE THE BASICS OF THE JOB: DUTIES, SALARY,
CAREER PATH, AND HIRING TIMELINE
1. “Military.com Q&A with the U.S. Border Patrol,” answer from
Bruce Cooke, op. cit.
2. Noel Quinones, op. cit.
3. “Border Patrol Academy Expands,” Jacques Billeaud, quoting Ed-
die Ray II, www.navytimes.com/careers/second_careers/military_
border_academy_070530.
4. Jacques Billeaud, op. cit., quoting David Narrance.
5. Jacques Billeaud, op. cit., about Mario Bedolla.
6. “Border Patrol Struggles to Keep Newly Hired Agents,” Elliot Sp-
agat, AP writer, 8/28/2008, http://www.officer.com/web/online/
Homeland-Defense-and-Terror-News/Border-Patrol-Struggles-
to-Keep-Newly-Hired-Agents/8$42953.
7. “FAQs—Working for Border Patrol,” 5/29/08, www.cbp.gov/
xp/cgov/careers/customs_careers/border_careers/bp_agent/faqs_
working_for_the_usbp.xml.
8. “Key Duties and Responsibilities” of Border Patrol Agent, www.tsa
.gov/join/benefits/soar/cbp/bpa.shtm.
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9. Position Classification Standard for Border Patrol Agent Series,
GS-1896,” U.S. Office of Personnel Management, pages 3–4,
www.opm.gov/fedclass/gs1896.pdf.
10. “New Border Patrol garb means business,” Elliot Spagat, USA
Today, 8/17/07.
11. http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=76225327&brd
=3876&AVSDM=2008%2D10%2D01+09%3A02%3A52&q=
Border+Patrol+Agent&sort=rv&vw=d&Logo=0&FedPub=Y&Fed
Emp=N&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y.
12. http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=76225327&brd
=3876&AVSDM=2008%2D10%2D01+09%3A02%3A52&q=
Border+Patrol+Agent&sort=rv&vw=d&Logo=0&FedPub=Y&Fed
Emp=N&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y=0&ss=0&TabNum=3&rc
=2.
13. Position Classification Standard for Border Patrol Agent Series,
GS-1896,” op. cit., page 24.
14. http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=76225327&brd
=3876&AVSDM=2008%2D10%2D01+09%3A02%3A52&q=
Border+Patrol+Agent&sort=rv&vw=d&Logo=0&FedPub=Y&Fed
Emp=N&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y.
15. Position Classification Standard for Border Patrol Agent Series,
GS-1896,” op. cit., page 27.
16. http://jobsearch.usajobs.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=76225327&brd
=3876&AVSDM=2008%2D10%2D01+09%3A02%3A52&q=
Border+Patrol+Agent&sort=rv&vw=d&Logo=0&FedPub=Y&Fed
Emp=N&SUBMIT1.x=0&SUBMIT1.y.
17. Position Classification Standard for Border Patrol Agent Series,
GS-1896,” op. cit., pages 29–30.
18. Position Classification Standard for Border Patrol Agent Series,
GS-1896,” op. cit., pages 36–37.
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CHAPTER TWO THE SKILLS, PHYSICAL ABILITIES, AND
EDUCATION YOU NEED
1. Brady McCombs, op. cit.
2. Amanda Miller, op. cit.
3. Ibid.
4. Brady McCombs, op. cit.
CHAPTER THREE MILITARY ADVANTAGE AND PREFERENCE
TO VETERANS
1. “Border Patrol Recruiters Cross Ocean for First Time Seeking Job
Applicants at Six U.S. Military Installations in Germany,” news re-
lease, March 21, 2008, from www.cpb.gov/xp.cgov/newsroom/
news_releases/archives/2008_news_releases/march_2008/03212008
.xml.
2. Amanda Miller, op. cit.
3. “Military.com Q&A with the U.S. Border Patrol,” answer from
Bruce Cooke, op. cit.
4. “Take Your Pick: Defense Jobs on the Rise,” by Heidi Russell Raf-
ferty, June 14, 2008, globalsecurity.org Defense Jobs Career Center,
http://globalsecurity.clearancejobs.com/news.php?articleID=47.
5. Amanda Miller, op. cit.
6. www.dol.gov/elaws/vets/vetpref/vetspref.htm.
7. “Military experience a plus at career fair,” John Ferak, Omaha
World-Herald, September 12, 2008.
8. “Border Patrol tries to lure retired troops,” Mimi Hall, USA Today¸
April 13, 2008.
9. Border Patrol Recruiters Cross Ocean for First Time Seeking Job
Applicants at Six U.S. Military Installations in Germany,” op. cit.
10. Brady McCombs, op. cit.
11. Ibid.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid.
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CHAPTER FOUR THE APPLICATION PROCESS
1. “Military.com Q&A with the U.S. Border Patrol,” answer from
Bruce Cooke, op. cit.
2. “Basic Qualifications and Medical Requirements for Border Patrol
Agents, 4/30/2008, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/careers/customs_
careers/border_careers/application_process/basic_requirements_
for_bp.xml.
3. Http://cryptome.org/irs-ci/36426.html#ss2: Handbook 9.10 Adminis-
trative Databases and Software, Chapter 2: Treasury Enforcement
Communication System (TECS) and International Fugitive Notices.
4. Http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/doj/fbi/is/ncic.htm.
CHAPTER FIVE PREPARING FOR THE U.S. BORDER PATROL
AGENT EXAM
1. Preparation Manual for the U.S. Border Patrol Test, U.S. Department
of Homeland Security/Customs and Border Protection, page 19.
CHAPTER SIX A HISTORY OF THE U.S. BORDER PATROL
1. All of the information on the history of the Texas Rangers is de-
rived from the Texas Department of Public Safety’s web site:
www.txdps.state.tx.us/director_staff/texas_rangers/.
2. “Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,”
Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteenth_Amendment_
to_the_United_States_Constitution.
3. “U.S. Border Patrol—Protecting Our Sovereign Borders,”
www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/about/history/bp_historcut.xml; “History of
Immigration Laws,” www.justia.com/immigration; “Timeline of
U.S. Immigration Law,” http://media.www.testcp8.com/media/
storage/paper1226/news/2008/03/03/ImmigrationFeature.
4. “History of Immigration Laws,” www.justia.com/immigration.
157
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5. “About USCIS,” USCIS official web site: www.uscis.gov/portal/
site/uscis.
6. www.dhs.gov/xabout/history/editorial_0133.shtm.
7. www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/.
APPENDIX A COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT OFFER
FOUR-YEAR BACHELOR’S DEGREES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
AND LAW ENFORCEMENT
1. The College Board Book of Majors, 2009.
APPENDIX B COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES THAT OFFER
FOUR-YEAR BACHELOR’S DEGREES IN CRIMINAL
JUSTICE STUDIES
1. The College Board Book of Majors, 2009.
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