04/15/2026
Critics have condemned the huge number of Latino immigration officers, resorting to language about self-hatred and betrayal of community—but many of the officers “believe in the enforcement of immigration laws and that they are protecting, not antagonizing, their communities,” Geraldo L. Cadava argues. https://theatln.tc/u0ypVuVT
“Over the past half century, Latinos went from making up a negligible fraction of Border Patrol agents to constituting half of the entire force. Latinos have been central to the work done by the Border Patrol for decades,” Cadava writes. “Border Patrol recruitment videos feature Latinos and target them with stories about the excitement of the job, the drugs they would intercept, the criminals they would arrest, the discipline and sense of mission they would acquire at training camp.”
“The path that Latinos take to a career in law enforcement frequently begins at universities in the Southwest border region,” Cadava continues. Texas A&M International University’s criminal-justice program has 705 undergraduate students, almost all of whom are Latino. The program’s co-directors told Cadava of the students, “Growing up on the border, they see up close that the work—especially at the federal level—is complex and human, involving trade, public safety, and immigration enforcement all at once. Many see these careers as a way to serve, to build stability for their families, and to bring their bilingual skills, judgment, and sense of responsibility into roles where they believe their presence truly matters.”
“Whether many young Latinos who join the Border Patrol believe that they’re saving their community, not betraying it, of course doesn’t mean that other Latinos accept their logic,” Cadava writes.
Read more at the link.
📸: John Moore / Getty
