Amid Complaints, Lawmakers Seek More Oversight For Border Agents
Congressmen Beto O'Rourke of West Texas and Steve Pearce of New Mexico are looking for answers to their questions about the U.S. Border Patrol. These Southwest representatives, one Democrat and the other Republican, have neighboring districts along the U.S.-Mexico border.
They introduced legislation in March that calls for more oversight and accountability for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP.
Still, O'Rourke says, the "vast majority" of the agents and CBP officers he's met "do what I think are among the toughest jobs in federal employment in very difficult circumstances, very difficult terrain, trying to remain vigilant against innumerable threats."
In an interview with NPR's Steve Inskeep, O'Rourke and Pearce shared their constituents' stories of alleged misconduct by agents.
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