PoliticsCaliforniaborder patrol agentsu.s. border patrol

Border Patrol Tightens Rules Amid Complaints Of Excessive Force

Border Patrol Tightens Rules Amid Complaints Of Excessive Force
By 

Politics Editor, The Huffington Post

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A section of the old border wall rises over a hill along the US - Mexico border Thursday, June 13, 2013, in San Diego. Illegal immigration into the United States would decrease by only 25 percent under a far-reaching Senate immigration bill, according to a recent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

As the U.S. Border Patrol grapples with complaints of excessive force, a new policy has emerged that will tighten restrictions on agents.

The Arizona Republic reports that the new use-of-force policy will require agents to avoid situations where deadly force may be necessary. Examples include refraining from blocking moving vehicles' paths or firing at rock-throwers unless in imminent danger. Additionally, agents will be trained on how to carry and use lighter weapons, while also facing restrictions on taser use.

"This is a monumental victory for border communities advocating for transparency and policy reform," Andrea Guerrero, co-chair of the Southern Border Communities Coalition, told the Arizona Republic.

The new rules are in response to a critical report that was first obtained by the Los Angeles Times and released Friday, showing that agents were deliberately engaging in those aforementioned types of actions. Since January 2010, at least 20 people have been killed in Border Patrol incidents, according to the Times.

The Associated Press broke down how the report was conducted by the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit group that advises law enforcement agencies. In total 67 case files, were reviewed on deadly force use from January 2010 through October 2012. Administrative action was taken against employees in two of those cases, while 10 investigations remain open, and the other 55 cases went without any disciplinary action. Additionally, 14 cases saw disciplinary action from 2010 to 2013, with eight employees being suspended and five more being reprimanded.

For more on "Force At The Border," check out the Arizona Republic's project here.

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Before You Go

11 Ways Immigration Reform Helps The Economy
Reform Would Help Curb The Deficit(01 of11)
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Immigration reform would reduce the federal deficit by $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years, according to an April analysis by the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. (credit:Getty Images)
Expelling Immigrants Is Expensive(02 of11)
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Expelling the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the United States would cost $2.6 trillion over the next 10 years, according to CNBC. That's because it costs the government more than $8,000 to deport each person. (credit:Getty Images)
Reform Would Help Fix The Social Security Problem(03 of11)
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Immigration reform would help bolster Social Security because more legal workers would mean more people contributing payroll taxes to its trust fund, according to an analysis from the Social Security administration. Undocumented workers already contribute $15 billion per year to Social Security. (credit:AP)
Immigrants Start Successful Businesses(04 of11)
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More than a quarter of technology and engineering firms started between 1995 and 2005 had a foreign-born owner, according to the Washington Post. One of the founders of Yahoo!, Jerry Yang, is an immigrant from Taiwan. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Save $410 Billion Over The Next 10 Years(05 of11)
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The immigration reform bill proposed by the "gang of eight" senators would save $410 billion over the next decade, according to an analysis from Gordon Gray, the director of fiscal policy at the American Action Forum, a conservative think tank. The savings would come largely from a boost in GDP resulting from undocumented immigrants gaining citizenship and in turn likely making more money. (credit:AP)
High-Tech Companies Say Reform Would Boost Their Bottom Line(06 of11)
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Companies like Microsoft and Google have said that immigration reform would help them by allowing for more H1B visas, a special kind of visa geared toward highly-skilled immigrants. The tech giants say they can't find enough qualified people in the U.S. to fill their staffing needs. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Boost The Wages Of Native-Born Workers(07 of11)
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U.S.-born workers see between a 0.1 and 0.6 percent boost in wages on average with an increase in immigration, according to a January report from the Hamilton Project, an economic policy initiative of the nonpartisan Brookings Institution. That's because immigrant workers bring skills with them that complement those of native-born workers, leading to new jobs. (credit:AP)
Immigrants Are Entrepreneurial (08 of11)
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Immigrants are more than twice as likely than native-born Americans to start new businesses, according to a White House report on immigration reform. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Boost GDP By More Than $1 Trillion Over 10 Years(09 of11)
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Immigration reform would boost GDP by $1.5 trillion -- or about 1 percent -- over 10 years, according to an estimate from UCLA professor Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda cited by CNBC. (credit:AP)
Immigrants Create Jobs(10 of11)
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Businesses owned by immigrants created 4.7 million jobs in the U.S. in 2007, according to a White House report on immigration reform. (credit:AP)
Reform Would Bring In More Money Than It Costs In Benefits(11 of11)
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Though many critics of immigration reform argue against the cost of providing increased public benefits, analysts say higher spending is not a likely consequence. A Congressional Budget Analysis of George W. Bush's 2007 immigration reform proposal found that it would cost the government $23 billion in more public services, but bring in $48 billion in revenue, according to the Washington Post. (credit:Getty Images)
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