Trump Administration has Ordered Park Rangers from National Parks around the Country to Travel to the U.S.-Mexico Border to Fight Illegal Immigration and Drug Traffickers.
It's an effort that comes as the Democratic-Controlled House of Representatives has Refused to Fully Fund President Trump's Border Security Plan, which calls for More Barriers and Beefed-Up Law Enforcement along the Border.
The Directive has seen Park Rangers from:
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina - the Busiest National Park in the Country was asked to send Two Park Rangers to the Border for Two-Week Details. It sent One. For 2020, Park Officials were once again asked to send Two Rangers to the Border, Park Spokeswoman Dana Soehn said. It is Patrolled by 35 Law Enforcement Rangers.
The Blue Ridge Parkway - is the Second Busiest National Park Site. The Park is Budgeted for 34 Rangers but Currently has Two Vacancies. The Park is Expected to Send up to Three Rangers over the next Six months, said Spokeswoman Leesa Brandon.
Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado - the Third Busiest National Park. It has 14 Law Enforcement Rangers, with Two Current Vacancies and will Send Two Rangers this year and Two are slated for 2020.
Zion National Park in Utah - is the Fourth Busiest Park in the U.S. The Park is Budgeted for 12 Full-Time Law Enforcement Rangers. Due to their closeness to the Border, they have always helped with Border Issues.
Shenandoah National Park in Virginia sent One Park Ranger to the Border in 2018 and another to the U.S. Virgin Islands, to help Backfill for One of that Park’s Rangers who was sent to the Border. The Park Plans to send another Ranger to the Border in December and one in 2020.
Others include:
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska
The National Mall in Washington, D.C.
They are Temporarily Relocate to Arizona and Texas to Work with Border Patrol Agents. Park Officials say they've already been told they should Continue Sending Park Rangers to the Border through September 2020.
Trump Signed a Stopgap Spending Bill Nov. 2st1 after House and Senate Approval, to Fund the Government through Dec. 20th and Stop a Government Shutdown that would otherwise have Started at Midnight Nov. 21st.
The President continued to ask for $5 Billion to Fund a U.S.-Mexico Border Wall, but House Democrats did Not Include such Funding in their Spending Bills. The Fight over Border Wall Funding is the same Issue that Led to a Five-Week Government Shutdown at the Start of the year, which sent most Government Workers, including Park Rangers, Home without Pay.
The President and his Staff say the Rangers and Other Officers have given Valuable Assistance to Border Guards facing a steady Stream of Migrants trying to Enter the U.S. They say the Trump Administration is using Existing Resources while Congress Refuses to Fully Fund the President's Border Wall Plan.
But Critics say the President is Improperly using Park Officials to staff up his Border Plan at a time when the Nation's National Parks are Desperately Understaffed and Overcrowded. They also note that the Park Rangers, who are Accustomed to Ticketing Speeding Drivers or Extracting Injured Hikers from Remote Canyons, have Little to No Training in Border Security Tactics.
The Law Enforcement Surge along the Border “is a sham that diverts law enforcement resources away from already underfunded parks," U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-AZ, 3rdDistrict), Chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources whose District Borders Mexico, said. "This puts park resources, visitors, and staff at risk, all so President Trump can continue to perpetuate his fabricated emergency at the border. Park police and border communities should not be pawns in this administration’s political games.“
Customs Border Protection (CBP) Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan Defended the Law enforcement Surge during a Press Briefing on Nov. 14th, saying that his Agency "has taken action" Absent “a single piece of meaningful legislation” from Congress on Border Security.
Trump has Requested $18.2 Billion for CBP for the Upcoming Budget year, up from $15 Billion in last year’s Budget, which Includes $5 Billion for New Border Wall Construction.
Morgan noted that the Number of Illegal Border Crossing Apprehensions reached a Peak in May of more than 140,000 in a Single Month. By October, Border Apprehensions were just over 42,000, a nearly 70% Decrease since May. By Mid-year, CBP was Detaining almost 20,000 Detainees in Custody, Morgan said. The Government Employs nearly 20,000 Border Patrol Agents.
The Law Enforcement Operation, known as the Department of Interior-Border Support Surge, began as a Pilot Program in May 2018. A Second Surge began in October, amid Record Numbers of Migrants Crossing the U.S.-Mexico Border.
Former Interior Department Secretary Ryan Zinke Announced 22 Park Rangers and other Staffers would be Sent to the Border in a May 2018 Press Release. He said in the First Two Days of the Program, Rangers “had made 13 arrests and confiscated an illegal handgun that had the serial number filed off. Officers also found extensive evidence of recent activity along smuggling routes.”
Federal Officials Refused to Discuss the Operational Details behind the Latest Surge, including the Exact Number of Rangers, U.S. Park Police and other Department of Interior Law Enforcement Officers being used to Bolster Border Security. But the Operation is "indeed underway," said Robert “Bob” Bushell, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent for the U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector, which Covers a Vast Landmass along the U.S.-Mexico Border.
During last year's Surge, 1,195 People were Arrested with the Help of Park Rangers for a variety of Crimes, including Illegal Border Crossings, Bushell said. Rangers also seized 720 Pounds of Marijuana and 120 Pounds of Methamphetamine, Bushell said. “It is an awesome partnership and these guys are really sharp. That’s a big reason why we continue to ask for their support," Bushell said.
National Park Law Enforcement Rangers operate as Police Officers who can Write Speeding Tickets and make Arrests for any Crimes, including Drunken Driving, Drug Possession, or Domestic Battery. They are also Wildland Firefighters and Emergency Medical Technicians who Respond to Heart Attacks and other Health Issues.
U.S. Border Patrol’s Tucson Sector, said Rangers from Parks throughout the Country Participating in the Surge are Largely being Deployed to Organ Pipe, a sprawling 330,000-acre Wilderness Park that receives about 1.5 Million Visitors a year, and to Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge, which spans 860,000 acres. Both Parks are Located in Southern Arizona on the U.S.-Mexico Border. Some Rangers have also been sent to Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas.
Organ Pipe has 45 Full-Time Employees, including 15 Law Enforcement Rangers at Full Staff, said Park Spokesman Frank Torres. Up to 20% of those Positions are Currently Vacant. The Park is considered One of the Most Dangerous National Parks, precisely because so many Migrants and Drug Smugglers use it to Illegally Cross the Border. Carrying Characteristic Black Water Jugs designed to Block Reflections that could Draw a Ranger's Attention, Migrants and Smugglers alike Sneak into the U.S. along a Network of Dusty Trails and Cactus-Studded Hillsides where Temperatures can Soar to about 110 Degrees in the Summer. Park Rangers warn Visitors that "illegal border crossings and activities, including drug smuggling, occur daily," according to Organ Pipe’s website.
National Parks Staffing is at Record Lows. The Reorganization of federal Law Enforcement Officials comes as the Nation's Parks are woefully Understaffed. The Nation's Ranger Corps and Parking Staffing has Dropped by 20% the Past Decade. The Staffing Reductions come as National Parks are seeing Historically High Visitation Numbers, leading in some cases to Hours-Long Delays by Rangers to Respond to Calls for Help because there's so Few Working at any given time.
There are Now Fewer than 1,800 Law Enforcement Rangers Watching Out for nearly 320 Million Visitors at the Nation’s 419 National Park Sites.
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