Border Patrol staffing hits 21,471 agents, highest since 1924, amid ongoing retention challenges

Border Patrol reached 21,471 agents serving nationwide and abroad this spring, the highest total since the organization was created in 1924, Washington Examiner reported. Customs and Border Protection data showed the figure exceeds all prior counts. The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, passed by Congress last summer, funded the addition of 3,000 Border Patrol agents.

Border Patrol Chief Rosario “Pete” Vasquez stated the end goal is to surpass 25,000 agents on the front lines. “This record-setting achievement highlights the effectiveness of our recruitment efforts,” Vasquez said in a statement. Applications to join the Border Patrol exceeded 100,000 as of October 2025, former Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks told the Washington Examiner.

The Trump administration and congressional Republicans included funding in the legislation to hire more staff and retain existing employees. CBP is offering new hires up to $60,000 in competitive financial incentives. New agents receive part of the bonus after completing training at the academy in New Mexico and if they accept an assignment to a remote location.

Agents who stay on are eligible for up to $50,000 in retention bonuses. Approximately 10 million people illegally entered the United States from Mexico and were apprehended during the three-year border surge under the Biden administration, according to CBP statistics. The Border Patrol lost a quarter of its workforce during that period.

A Government Accountability Office report concluded that beginning in late 2026, “significant increases” in retirements across CBP “could have significant effects” on the agency’s ability to meet its national security mission. Banks said in October that CBP is moving recruitment-incentive money into retention-incentive programs.