Washington, DC – Today, Congressman Henry Cuellar (TX-28) announced $29,147,000 in federal funding for additional U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) processing coordinators. This funding will support approximately 1,200 processing coordinators who will assist CBP with the influx of migrants at our southern border by performing humanitarian related tasks such as transportation, processing, and escorting migrants in CBP custody. These coordinators will also ease the administrative workload on law enforcement agents so that they can continue their mission in the field.

Processing coordinators are non-law enforcement personnel that provide assistance to process, care, and transport migrants. The Associated Press previously reported that CBP agents spend nearly 40% of their time completing administrative tasks and caring for migrants already in custody.

In the Fiscal Year 2020 Homeland Security Appropriations bill, the Congressman also secured $10 million in funding for CBP to create and hire 200 processing coordinator positions.  

“Border agents continue to be overwhelmed by the influx of migrants at our southern border, a 20-year high for encounters and apprehensions,” said Congressman Cuellar. “For the past few years, I have witnessed this scenario time and again. Instead of conducting patrols and uncovering smuggling activity, Border Patrol agents are forced to spend the majority their time caring for people already in custody and administrative tasks that are unrelated to border security.  Processing coordinators help ease the workload on agents and bring a much-needed humanitarian approach to the care of unaccompanied children and other migrants in CBP custody. As the Vice Chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Appropriations, I will continue to support funding that provides our border agents with the necessary resources to carry out their duties safely and efficiently.”

This funding announcement comes as the Del Rio border sector experiences an influx of Haitian migrants—approximately 15,000 in the past week. The group of migrants at the Del Rio International Bridge includes 8,000 family units and 4,000 single adults. An estimated 2,000 more migrants are expected to arrive in the next few days.

Breakdown of new funding:

$9,147,000 for new Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Land Port of Entry Processing Coordinators (FY2022 DHS Appropriations)

$20,000,000 for new Border Patrol processing coordinators (FY2021 DHS Appropriations)