During a House Appropriations Committee hearing last week, Rep. Mark Amodei (R-NV) spoke about the construction of a border wall along the border with Mexico.
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00:00Thank you, sir.
00:03Mr. Acting Director, I've got a few questions before we wrap up.
00:07How's the home application to leave?
00:10State Department gives somebody $1,000.
00:11Do we have any preliminary data on how that's working?
00:14People signing up for that?
00:16What?
00:17So we do have some preliminary data that we do have individuals signing up for that in order to take that.
00:21That is, that very specific piece, although we built that application,
00:26it's being run by ICE in regards to getting that through and the department in regards to applicants in that process.
00:34Okay, so if you could have your folks just kind of get back to us, and it's not a trick question,
00:39so I'm just kind of curious, how's that working?
00:43So some of the members have talked to you about funding for the wall,
00:49and I know that people tend to, well, it's the wall.
00:51It's like, well, there's more than that.
00:52But you got any ideas on, so are we kicked off on that?
00:59All aspects, fiber optic, the actual wall itself, roads, blah, blah, blah.
01:03Is that all kicked off as we speak?
01:05And if it's not, when do we expect to be fully underway on multiple assets of what people colloquially refer to as the wall?
01:15Yeah, so the wall system in regards to not only infrastructure, but the technology that applies to that.
01:20So based on our current funding, yes, so we are making sure that as we implement new wall,
01:26it is a wall system in regards to fiber optic and sensors.
01:29So that's in our current planning that we have.
01:32In regards to additional funding that we may have received,
01:36we are planning to ensure that it is a wall system in regards to not only infrastructure,
01:42but technology that goes along with that, along with border roads, access points,
01:46where we may have the opportunity to build more wall based on appropriations.
01:52Are we building as we speak?
01:54We are building as we speak.
01:55Generally, what are we building?
01:56The whole nine yards?
01:58No.
01:58Cameras, wiring, roads, actual wall?
02:01So wall, cameras, roads, yes, we're incorporating the technology into the 85-plus miles that we have.
02:09As we get into physical border barrier type ballard construction,
02:14that will be incorporated into every piece of ballard fencing that we build.
02:20How about buoys in, for instance, the Rio Grande?
02:23Are we deploying those, or is that in the planning stage, or where are we at with buoys?
02:27So we have that in the planning stage right now.
02:30We have, I think, our latest contract is 17 miles of border barrier buoy that we have contracted for.
02:37Okay.
02:41The cameras in the FAA thing.
02:43We're not doing that again, right?
02:45Right.
02:45So we are moving.
02:46So we talk about maintenance of older technology.
02:51Based on the technology that we have, it is older type technology.
02:55A lot of times it becomes very difficult to maintain parts that get parts in order to make that type of technology operational.
03:02So we are, we do plan to completely update that technology and use new technology to ensure that our cameras are operational and integrated with everything that we're planning for.
03:14Well, some of the questioning here today has gone on that.
03:16And I'll just tell you, it's like I haven't had anybody approach me.
03:19If somebody else has been approached and said, hey, what we're doing now with those cameras and having somebody else maintain them is okie-dokie.
03:27And so I guess my question is, we've learned the lessons we need to from that.
03:32Not that anybody was a bad person or whatever, but that dog ain't hunting.
03:35So as we go forward with new recapitalization of that particular part of your mission, we're going a different direction.
03:46Right.
03:47Okay.
03:48The last thing I've got is I've got a concern, and I know there's some moving parts to it,
03:53but when you keep getting reprogramming requests to move money out of hiring people and moving it into other areas,
04:00at some point in time, I hope that one of the things we're working on is we've got to change the way we assess and bring people on board,
04:11that hiring process.
04:12So I know that, and I'm not saying it's yours, but it is other federal ones, so maybe it's yours.
04:17By the time we get done advertising, identifying somebody, putting them through the test, going through all the drill or whatever,
04:25it's not unusual to have people say, hey, thanks, but I went someplace where I can start working six months ago.
04:32And so my question is, where are we at in basically rethinking how we assess Border Patrol agents, employees, whatever,
04:45so that we quit getting reprogramming requests, which basically cannibalized money that we're like, hey, I know you need more people.
04:55Here's the money.
04:55And it's like, well, we can't get them on board fast enough.
04:58At some point in time, there's a, you know, it's a credibility thing where you're like, well, we keep putting this money in,
05:09but it hasn't been used for that.
05:11So it's like, when we give you the money, we want you to bring new people on.
05:15Anybody working on a plan for this is how we revamp our whole hiring process?
05:20And by the way, I know somebody is, well, you know, we've got to go through OMB and their program or whatever.
05:26It's like, well, let's triage that, and if we can help you, then good.
05:33But are we doing any of that, hopefully, on new cameras, new technology, and, oh, by the way, new program to actually bring these folks on?
05:44Thank you for the question.
05:45And we are.
05:45So we have taken a hard look at what our hiring process is.
05:48We've taken a look at where the longest poles in the tents are during that hiring process, and we have taken steps to increase what that is in regards to from a human resource side on what we're doing and how we're doing things,
06:04and when we're doing certain things, such as physicals and testing and those type of things, and how we combine different things in order to shorten up that time frame.
06:13We're also, in regards to recognize that when we have applicants and they start through the process, that assigning somebody, a recruiter, or somebody through them to help them through the process,
06:23we have a higher percentage of yielding on board rates and shortening that time frame from application to on board.
06:29So we're increasing what our ability is for recruitment as we continue to look at what the funding looks like, ensuring that we're having a recruiter attached to applicants that are getting through the process.
06:40We're looking at what the background investigators, the need for background investigators, the need for polygraphs, and the need, what that number looks like and what our bandwidth there.
06:49So we continue to look at the entirety of that process down to locations and hard-to-fill locations and what we can do about getting applicants into hard-to-fill locations.
06:59So the message is clear from the question.
07:03It's like, I think you guys have plenty of credibility where you say, we need 20,000 more people to operate in retirements, and we expect a surge and all that stuff.
07:13I get all that.
07:14Now that everybody recognizes that, it's whatever needs to be done to do that in real time,
07:20because with each reprogramming request that cannibalizes those funds, it just doesn't look good in terms of, yeah, we heard you and we're trying to help you,
07:32but the money never ends up getting there because of fundamental flaws in that process.
07:38So thank you for your input, and we'll look forward to working on that.
07:42CBP has historically been an excellent partner as we work through the annual appropriations process,
07:48and I ask that that continue for fiscal year 2026.
07:52We won't surprise you.
07:54Don't surprise us.
07:55That simple.
07:56For the get-back questions that members of the subcommittee had today, we ask that you respond in 15 business days.
08:02I know you're busy, but this process is moving quickly, and so what I don't want to do is have the train leave the station
08:09and us make assumptions which are not based on factual information.
08:14There may be additional questions members provide in writing, and we ask you to respond to those in a timely manner.
08:19I'd like to thank you again for coming.
08:21Been an excellent witness, and the subcommittee stands adjourned.