The Border Patrol program using canines, which has been in place for more than 35 years, has been expanded to include therapy dogs, after 14 agents committed suicide last year, The Hill reported Monday.
The agency's Peer Support and Chaplaincy are using the specially trained dogs to help provide support for agents suffering from stress, anxiety, and depression.
Former Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott told The Hill that the low morale is primarily due to agents being overwhelmed by the record rise in illegal crossings.
Because of this surge, agents have been taken away from work duties they were originally trained for, in order to pick up large groups of undocumented asylum seekers and process them at makeshift centers.
Scott explained that as the agents work at the processing centers, the sections of the border they were supposed to patrol and protect are subsequently left open.
A bipartisan bill has been introduced by two congressmen, Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, and Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, to set up an anti-suicide task force that would examine the underlying factors leading to high suicide rates among agents.
The task force would be made up of leadership from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Health and Human Services, labor unions representing Border Patrol agents, and experts in the field of suicide prevention, according to The Hill.
The bill also mandates the taskforce submit a report, including recommendations for an overall policy to prevent suicides and improve initiatives for mental health resiliency.
According to data, roughly 20 U.S. veterans die by suicide every day.
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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