John Oliver Tackles Border Patrol Hiring

John Oliver recently tackled President Trump’s goal of increasing the number of Border Patrol officers in a short period of time.

The segment contains much of the same information as a 2014 article from Politico called The Green Monster. I’ve been using that reading for two years now to discuss the problems that can occur with surge hiring. It updates that piece and offers some great visuals.

For example, at 14:05-14:25 there’s an image of the area where Jose Antonio Elena Rodriguez was shot. I, like many of you I’m sure, followed the Rodriguez case. But I hadn’t fully appreciated just how far away the 16-year-old was from Border Patrol until I saw that clip. If you’re using that case in class, those 30 seconds of tape would be incredibly helpful to discussion.

I also thought that the discussion of boredom as a challenge for Border Patrol agents was very real and something for which students might not have an appreciation. (Check out 6:16-6:32). This phenomenon is one that I’ve found Border Patrol agents to be very upfront about. A lot of their time is spent waiting at fixed points, serving as a deterrent to unauthorized traffic. That can be hours at a time. And some agents will be sure to spend it in zones where cell reception (and therefore Netflix) is available. Others are able to handle the challenge of boredom and remain focused and alert.

Of course the boredom of the job is punctuated by moments of terror. Agents often work alone. And staffing and terrain may mean that backup is an hour or more out. So terror can spike when a single agent encounters a group of 20 unauthorized men, not immediately knowing if the men are drug smugglers or asylum seekers. (This is not a point made by John Oliver but one I think needs to be added.)

I recommend watching the entire segment. But I’m not sure it can be used as a whole in class. There are far too many sex jokes for my taste. That said, it’s provocative and engaging. It would certainly grab students’ attention. Though be prepared for conservatives to call it out as one-sided.

-KitJ