GSN Digital Edition April 2016

U.S. Customs and Border Patrol
Careers – Protecting America’s
Borders
Continued from page 25
dent. In just one year, Border Patrol
Agents and CBP Officers at official
entry locations intercepted 145,000
inadmissible aliens and seized some
$1.2 billion worth of bootlegged
intellectual property, 2,100 tons of
narcotics and $100 million in smuggled
currency. Another 327,000 illegal
aliens were intercepted away
from official entry points as they attempted
to enter the U.S.
The professionals with U.S. Customs
and Border Protection are
charged with preventing terrorists
and terrorist weapons from entering
the United States, while at the
same time enforcing hundreds of
U.S. laws. These dedicated professionals
serve in several specialized
roles, but with one common objective:
To protect, manage and control
America’s borders.
Becoming a Border Patrol Agent –
Meeting the Basic Requirements
Becoming a Border Patrol Agent
starts with meeting certain basic
criteria. A strong preference is
shown to candidates who hold an
associate or bachelor’s degree. In
most cases, candidates without law
enforcement or relevant military
experience will need to hold a degree
in criminal justice or a related
field in order to compete on a level
playing field with experienced law
enforcement professionals vying
for the same positions. Some of the
higher-skilled technical and leadership
roles within U.S. Customs and
Border Protection are only open to
candidates with college degrees.
Applicants interested in learning
how to become border patrol
agents must be U.S. citizens or legal
residents who have held residency
status for at least three years. There
is also an age restriction for candidacy,
which excludes those older
than 40 from being considered as
new hires. As is standard of all law
enforcement jobs, candidates must
submit to drug testing, a comprehensive
state and federal criminal
background check, physical fitness
testing and exams that assess judgment
and problem solving skills.
Spanish language proficiency or
the ability to learn some Spanish
is also a basic requirement. Border
patrol jobs very often involve interactions
with non-native English
speakers, and just as often individuals
who speak no English at all. This
means that border patrol job candidates
must either be able to demonstrate
their ability to communicate
in Spanish, or demonstrate a level
of language acquisition competency
that assures their ability to learn
some basic Spanish.
Program outcomes vary according
to each institution’s specific curriculum,
and employment opportunities
are not guaranteed.
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