FARAI CHIDEYA, host:
From NPR News, this is News & Notes, I'm Farai Chideya.
More than 16,000 agents currently patrol our borders. That makes the border patrol the largest law enforcement agency in the US. But black agents make up only about one percent of the total. Two years ago, President Bush said he wanted to increase the total number of agents to 18,000 by the end of his term. The Border Patrol Agency created the Minority Recruitment Strike Team. The agency also started to campaign to aggressively recruit African-Americans. In a few minutes we will talk to Congressman Silvestre Reyes as about the recruitment, but first the officer in charge of the Minority Recruitment Team is Assistant Chief Michael E. Douglas. Chief, good to have you on.
Chief MICHAEL E. DOUGLAS (Officer in Charge of the Minority Recruitment Team): Thank you.
CHIDEYA: So explain to us exactly what this Minority Recruitment Strike Team is.
Chief DOUGLAS: Basically, what the team consists of is eight agents, we're travelling to the southeast, and we're basically an extension of all of our other recruiting efforts. What we are doing is in areas that are not traditionally saturated with the recruitment effort. And that seems to be in the southeast at this point.
CHIDEYA: Now, when you talk about the southeast, are you are talking about going to areas with large number of black folks, and then suggesting that they take jobs further west, towards other places where the border patrol has more stations?
Chief DOUGLAS: Yes, we are making them aware. And that's basically what this campaign is, is getting the information out to the general public, and traditionally it has been, we have been getting agents applications from the southwest. That those areas are typically Hispanic and white living in those areas, so we wanted to get it in the areas where you have a higher concentration of African-Americans, where you still have a concentration of white, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islanders, really across the demographic.
CHIDEYA: Why do you care if there are black agents? Why is it important to you?
Chief DOUGLAS: It is very important with any agency, and with any employer to have diversity. Diversity is very important, as well as just the fact that with the president putting out that we are going to increase the number of agents, we wanted to have our agency reflect that of America, reflect that of the common labor workforce.
CHIDEYA: Now, since it is a requirement for agents, or at least most of them, to speak Spanish - anyone can speak Spanish, but a higher percentage of Latinos do. So why not just go with people who already have the language skills that you'll need?
Chief DOUGLAS: Well, for one, we want to make this job open to those who are not just native Spanish speakers. This is a country of, you know, diversity, it is diverse in ethnic group also diverse in language. And it is also important that we make the job available to those who really do anything across the country. We are - have the Spanish thing taught at the academy, and they do a very good job of teaching it, and so that helps us to open it up to everyone.
CHIDEYA: So let's say that I walk in to a recruitment session with your team. What would you say to me? What would you offer?
Chief DOUGLAS: Well basically what we are going to do is we are going to explain the benefits of the job. First of all, we are going to show you a video, and we are going to give you some idea of what we do, how we do it, why we do it and the type of environment in which we work in. We are also going to answer any questions that you might have about the job, we are going to, you know, assist you in doing and actually completing the application online.
CHIDEYA: When you think about some of the people you have spoken to, what kind of reactions do you get from them, when they get your pitch?
Chief DOUGLAS: Actually, we have gotten everything from wow to, I didn't know anything about this before, and I'm glad there's someone here to tell us about it. Many, I would say most of the people that we have contact with have never spoken to a border control agent, they haven't really heard anything about what we do as a organization.
CHIDEYA: There are agents who go out on horseback, on ATVs, four-wheel drives, on foot, it is not an easy job. What kind of person do you want to become an agent?
Chief DOUGLAS: Well, we are looking for someone who enjoys the outdoors, someone who is motivated, who is willing to learn, someone who is patriotic, someone who, you know, cares about the safety of those in this country. We also welcome really veterans to apply, we welcome really people from all walks of life. There is no set pattern, but if they do not like the outdoors, of course, then, it is not going to be the job for them. We do also need someone who has integrity, someone who is honest and trustful, and able to do the right thing even if no one else is there to see them do it.
CHIDEYA: Well, Chief Douglas, thanks so much.
Chief DOUGLAS: Thank you.
CHIDEYA: That was Border Patrol Chief Assistant Michael E. Douglas. He is also in charge of the Minority Recruitment Strike Team for the Border Patrol Agency. And now, we welcome U.S. Congressman Silvestre Reyes, he represents Texas' 16th Congressional district. In the past, he was sector chief in El Paso for the Border Patrol. Congressman, great to have you on.
Representative SILVESTRE REYES (Democrat, Texas): Farai, nice to join you today.
CHIDEYA: Well you know, about 10 years ago, I stopped by the El Paso headquarters when you were running the show, we got the chance to talk. And I did see African-American agents then, and I went back to the sector a couple of years for our show to do a recruiting trip, also saw African-American agents. What do you think of this whole move to try to recruit black agents? Is it important to the agency?
Rep. REYES: It is absolutely important. One of the strengths of our country is its diversity, and it is always helpful for any agency - because I have this challenge in the intelligence community being the chairman of the intelligence committee - that they prioritize a work force that is diversified. We - any agency would do a better job if it knows and understands and appreciates different cultures, different languages. If we - as Assistant Chief Douglas just mentioned to you - if we reflect what our country looks like.
CHIDEYA: Then, also Assistant Chief Douglas mentioned being trustworthy. There have been some incidents recently where, you know, there have been allegations about corruption among some border patrol agents. It is definitely a situation as many law enforcement situations are where there could be an incentive to kind of cross the ethical line. There was in 2003 a transition to put the department into Homeland Security. And because you now, as a congressman, are working on intelligence, what do you think the border patrol gains from being diverse? Not just in terms of the borders, but in terms of being part of the larger intelligence and security world.
Rep. REYES: Well, the most fundamental part of this issue addressing diversity is also the culture of the agency. That's why what Chief Douglas talks about is important and relevant. It is important to communicate to prospective trainee agents that they are joining an organization that dates back to 1924, an organization who was the first line of defense, and today, in the global war on terrorism, takes even more prominence and more importance in the national security of our country.
All of those have to be reinforced consistently, both at the time that you interview respective hirees, at the time they receive their initial indoctrination at the academy, throughout the whole training process. And I should also mention that all agents when we first hire them are on probation for the first year and then they are not full agents in terms of being journeymen agents until their third year. So those three years are vitally important in making sure that they receive the training and the understanding that they are going to be working largely independently, maybe with a partner and sometimes in some of the most remote areas of our border regions. So that kind of reinforcement ultimately I think strengthens the workforce and sensitizes them to a culture and the traditions that the border patrol stands for.
CHIDEYA: Let's pull out a little bit. You're representing the district in and around El Paso. It is very much Latino, El Paso and Juarez, Mexico, represent this kind of megalopolis border area. You did not vote for the fence that is being put up right now. What would you like to see happen on the border that makes it secure, but also allows for the cultural and economic connections to exist between Mexico and the U.S.?
Rep. REYES: Well I think fundamentally we need to have a secretary of Homeland Security that has to do three things. First of all, there has got to be a national strategy for how to defend the homeland. And of course the border patrol is probably the most important component. Because they are charged with protecting the country in between the ports of entry. So a national strategy is very important. Secondly, we have to have an individual that knows and appreciates the role that this country plays with both Canada and with Mexico, and has to have a commitment to working to get both those countries to work with us as partners in protecting our respective borders.
And third and probably most important is a basic understanding that if you are in charge of an agency that is comprised of 22 different agencies that are fairly diverse in terms of their duties. You've got FEMA in there, you've got the Coast Guard in there. Secret Service. You've got the border patrol, the customs and border protection. The immigrations services are in there. All of these make up the second largest federal agency in our country, so you've got to have those three priorities first and foremost in this national strategy.
CHIDEYA: Well, Congressman, thanks for your time.
Rep. REYES: I appreciate the opportunity. Thanks.
CHIDEYA: Congressman Sylvester Reyes represents Texas' 16th Congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Copyright © 2008 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information.
Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record.