WASHINGTON: U.S. Customs and Border Protection is considering a change to hiring practices to fill job openings. An internal CBP memo, released by the National Border Patrol Council, shows the agency could cut the current polygraph test requirement for new applicants. According to an Associated Press report, two out of three applicants fail that test. CBP Program Manager, Kelly Ursu, said no decisions have been made, but they need to do something to combat high attrition within the agency. “There’s nothing finalized yet,” she said. “But we do know that something is going to have to happen. And it is probably going to take years before we see any significant results take place.”
CBP is looking to fill the roles of Border Patrol Agent, Field Operation Officer and Air and Marine Agents. “It’s just been challenging based off the sheer numbers that we’re trying to fill and the vacancies we have nationwide,” said Ursu. President Trump has called for the hiring of 5,000 additional agents over the next few years. Senator Jeff Flake (R-Arizona) recently introduced a bill that would waive polygraph tests for former law enforcement or Armed Services members applying to CBP. Ursu said if the agency does choose to modify hiring requirement, it will not change the effectiveness of its agents. “We do not want to compromise our standards with integrity,” she said. “So we have to find that right balance. And that’s an issue that will be addressed at the headquarters level.”
