Law enforcement as a whole is under siege in our nation, and the Border Patrol is no exception. An article published in Newsmax this week describes the morale among BP officers as at an all-time low and the number of agents leaving at an all-time high. Since Joe Biden took office, the 19,000-member strong force has lost 4,281 members. They include agents who quit, took early retirement, or were forced to retire due to age restrictions. Early retirements have spiked under the Biden administration.

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Morale is at an all-time low because agents are forced to “catch and release.” As soon as they arrest illegal immigrants, they must release them into the United States. It makes their job of protecting our nation’s borders from illegal crossings almost impossible. Matthew Hudak, the recently retired deputy commander of the Border Patrol, did not mince words. He said that agents had taken an oath to protect the country but have become humiliated by arresting migrants and then releasing them into the U.S. It is disconcerting that the humiliation they experience comes from their own government.

The downward spiral in morale is also causing dissension in the Border Patrol’s ranks. In a leaked video, agents got into a shouting match with Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz over the impossibility of their task. While Ortize chided agents for getting “caught up in the policies and politics,” they vocalized their dismay at signing up to “releasing criminals into the country” and being told to do nothing. One agent bemoaned the administration no longer permits the term “illegal aliens,” a phrase that the Biden administration has called insensitive. This mess has caused the illegal entry of an estimated 10 million immigrants over the last four years. The 10 million reflects “border encounters” and does not include the many who crossed without encountering immigration officials.

The Border Patrol’s sister agency under the Department of Homeland Security, ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), faces similar issues. In a recent ruling, a federal judge banned their knock-and-talk practice because it was unconstitutional. It is one of four practices the agency relies on to arrest criminals who have crossed the border illegally. “Knock and talk” refers to the practice of going to the house where the suspected illegal immigrant is staying, knocking on the door, asking them to come out for a talk, and subsequently arresting them. It is the latest example of the new face of defunding the police, which we prayed about two months ago.

Border Patrol and ICE agents are some of the country’s most critical law enforcement agents. In a republic that prides itself in being a land of law and order, they are tasked with guarding our borders against the illegal entry of drugs, criminals, spies, and undocumented immigrants seeking to bypass our nation’s immigration laws.

Where our government fails to empower its agencies to uphold the law, we must support them with our prayers. The Border Patrol falls under the government instituted by God as described in Romans 13:1, which states: “For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.”

As often as I have called upon you to pray for our nation’s police forces, I call upon you to pray for the Border Patrol and the Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well. Here are some ways to pray:

• Pray for a renewed sense of calling from God to defend our nation and uphold immigration laws.
• Pray for protection against increasingly violent and dangerous criminals.
• Pray for unity in the ranks and healing in the relationship with their Chief.
• Pray for Chief Ortize to have wisdom from above and a renewed vision to boost morale.
• Pray for the Lord to raise up recruits motivated to guard our borders.
• Pray for God’s intervention in the government – to remove officials who have chosen to undermine our immigration laws and replace them with those who respect law and order and want to restore security at the border.

Father in heaven, command Your angels to empower the Border Patrol. Open the eyes of every agent that their calling comes from You more than from the ever-changing governments elected into office. Protect them against crime and harm. Give Chief Ortiz fresh vision and wisdom to enable his staff to do their jobs in these difficult circumstances. We pray that across the board, a president and government will be elected this fall who respects law and order and is eager to restore it. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Remco Brommet is a pastor, spiritual-growth teacher, and prayer leader with over 40 years of experience in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the U.S. He was born and raised in the Netherlands and pastored his first church in Amsterdam. He moved to the U.S. in 1986. He and his wife, Jennifer, live north of Atlanta. When not writing books, he blogs at www.deeperlifeblog.com and assists his wife as a content developer and prayer coordinator for True Identity Ministries. Jennifer and Remco are passionate about bringing people into a deeper relationship with Christ. Photo Credit: Noah Wulf – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.