Border Patrol Workers Face Up to 40% Pay Cuts under New Budget Reductions

Steve Neavling

ticklethewire.com

Border Patrol employees will lose up to 40% of their pay if they are forced to take 14 days of unpaid leave and eliminate overtime, Tucson News Now reports.

The agency released a statement:

“In order to address the more than half a billion in budget cuts imposed by sequestration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection must take significant budget reduction actions. CBP will continue to make every effort to minimize the sequester’s impact on public safety and national security, but expects that planned furlough of employees, along with reductions to overtime and hiring freeze will increase wait times at ports of entry, including international arrivals at airports, and reduce staffing between land ports of entry. Even with these cuts though, individuals apprehended illegally crossing the southwest border will still be processed as usual. CBP continues to evaluate further impacts of sequestration on our operations. Because the length of the sequestration as well as funding levels through the end of the fiscal year are unknown at this time, it is difficult to project the impact of the reductions on individual employees or job occupations.”

Employees said the cuts add up.

“I mean that’s astronomical,” Tucson Border Patrol Union President, Art DelCueto, told Tucson News Mow. “I don’t know how anybody especially now a days, no matter how much money you’re making. I don’t know how anybody can take a 40% cut.”