US homeland security department has hiring surge in its sights as new bill gains support

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) could be set to increase its headcount after years of understaffing at ports of entry if a new bipartisan bill is passed.
Under the Securing America’s Ports of Entry Act, at least 600 new officers per year could be added to the agency’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) team until its staffing goals are met.
DHS data shows CBP currently has a shortage of nearly a thousand officers, which could increase twofold if traffic returns to pre-pandemic levels.
High vacancy rates at the agency have long been a concern. Critics included the Obama administration, which said thousands more employees were needed at US ports. The Trump administration concentrated hiring drives on other areas within the DHS, though positions were often left unfilled.
Read more: Biden signs executive order to beef up cybersecurity in US
Lawmakers have said that if passed, the bill would free up law enforcement to concentrate on their jobs, and that it would improve infrastructure and equipment to protect officers at risk of exposure to dangerous drugs and toxins when inspecting international goods.
The measure has gained the support from unions representing both CBP officers and Border Patrol personnel.
Security spread thinly
Gary Peters, senator for Michigan, said staffing shortages threatened CBP’s ability to “facilitate safe and lawful trade and travel across our borders”. Peters, who introduced the bill, chairs the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.
Read more: Audit finds huge cyber skills gaps at US Department of Homeland Security
“We must ensure these dedicated officers, who have served on the frontlines throughout the pandemic, have the support they need to perform critical functions, like detecting and preventing illegal drugs from reaching our communities,” he said, as reported by Government Executive (GovExec).
Texas senator John Cornyn said that the bill could stop CBP removing employees from their normal duties to deal with migrant surges at the border, which it has had to do in the past.
Cornyn commented that when staff are reallocated on short notice, “we run the risk of legitimate trade and travel grinding to a halt”, adding that the bill would satisfy both trade and travel needs as well as border crisis management.
Tony Reardon, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, has long been an advocate for more staffing resources at CBP and has regularly pressured Congress on the issue. “Now that international trade and travel are recovering, Congress needs to increase their ranks,” he said.
In 2019, Global Government Forum reported that an internal watchdog found DHS did not have the data needed to assess the strengths and weaknesses of its cyber personnel, and that it was two years late in delivering a promised workforce strategy.
Like this story? Sign up to Global Government Forum’s email news notifications to receive the latest updates in your inbox.