SAY NO TO LOWERING STANDARDS FOR BORDER PATROL AGENTS
Trump wants to hire 10,000 ICE agents and 5,000 Border Patrol agents but can’t fill these positions and the 1400 existing openings because 60% of applicants fail their polygraph tests http://bit.ly/2sBiVYf. Failures are largely due to criminal behavior http://bit.ly/2s2jTvF. We must keep criminals and corruption out of the border patrol to protect our national security.
—A proposed waiver of the mandatory lie-detector test for applicants from law enforcement or the military (S. 595 https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/595) awaits a Senate vote.
—Allegations of corruption and use of excessive force led Congress to require polygraphs in 2010. Between 2005 and 2012, hundreds of agents were arrested for misconduct and corruption, including immigrant and drug smuggling, and 125 were convicted as of 2012 http://wapo.st/2tniHka, http://bit.ly/2rNGni7
—This waiver could again expose the agency to individuals who might use their positions to help drug cartels or human smugglers. Last year the agency itself found that corrupt border agents posed a national security threat. https://nyti.ms/2qG26KB
All Border Patrol Agents must be thoroughly vetted to weed out criminal elements and those with assaultive tendencies. The Senate is the last barrier to spending billions in taxpayer dollars on unqualified border agents who may threaten national security.
**ACTION 1: CALL BOTH SENATORS**
SAMPLE SCRIPT:
“My name is [–] and I’m a constituent from [city], Oregon. I am extremely concerned about Senate Bill S. 595, which eliminates the polygraph testing requirement for Border Patrol Agents and lowers vetting standards. I am asking the Senator to vote against this harmful and misguided legislation that will exacerbate the tensions on our southern border.
**ACTION 2: CALL FRIENDS AND FAMILY IN RED STATES TO DO THE SAME. “SHARE” OR COPY / PASTE THIS ACTION!**
**PHONE NUMBERS**
SENATOR MERKLEY
Portland: (503) 326-3386, DC: (202) 224-3753
Salem: (503) 362-8102, Eugene: (541) 465-6750
Medford: (541) 608-9102, Bend: (541) 318-1298
Pendleton: (541) 278-1129
SENATOR WYDEN
Portland: (503) 326-7525, DC: (202) 224-5244
Salem: (503) 589-4555, Eugene: (541) 431-0229
Medford: (541) 858-5122, Bend: (541) 330-9142
La Grande: (541) 962-7691
