TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — The most dramatic impact of the first 100 days of Donald Trump's second term has been at the border.
According to Homeland Security, border encounters are down 93% since he took office.
Tucson Sector Chief Sean McGoffin tells KGUN 9 that his Border Patrol agents can now focus on their jobs instead of processing migrants.
"The most important thing is we're no longer in the processing business," said McGoffin.
At the height of the migrant crisis at the border — from October of 2023 to September of 2024 — Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents experienced 463,567 migrant encounters, making it the busiest sector along the U.S.-Mexico border.
Since inauguration day on Jan.20, that number has dropped to a total of 5,000.
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McGoffin says now that agents have shifted away from migrant-processing responsibilities, he's seen an uptick in overall morale.
"The agents are getting to do what they signed up to do," McGoffin explains.
"They're proud of serving their country," said McGoffin. "Being on that border, being out in the field, working every day to ensure that we have a safe and secure border is huge to our agents, and they feel proud to be doing what they're doing."
On his first day, Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border.
According to the U.S. Northern Command, the total number of military troops deployed to the southern border has surged to more than 10,000 in support of Border Patrol.
McGoffin says the extra personnel helps U.S. Border Patrol cover more ground overall.
"We're able to put people and technology in locations where we might not be able to do so on a regular basis," he said. "It gives us a really, a much broader awareness of what's actually transpiring on the border. It makes it easier for us to be able to make sure we're out in front of those potential threats."
McGoffin says while encounters are way down, their prosecution rate is actually up 25%, as Border Patrol targets smugglers.
"As an agent who's been doing this for a very long time, I'm after the smugglers," said McGoffin. "I want to go after the smugglers because they put these people in very terrible conditions that are very dangerous for them. They treat these people as a commodity rather than a human being.
"So, we're going to prosecute all smugglers and we're going to prosecute all smugglers and anybody who's crossing the border illegally."
McGoffin tells KGUN 9 that they have seen a significant increase in recruitment over the last few months.
McGoffin is a Tucson native with more than 30 years of Border Patrol experience. He has been head of the Tucson Sector since last fall.
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Pat Parris is an anchor and reporter for KGUN 9. He is a graduate of Sabino High School where he was the 1982 high school state track champion in the 800 meters. While in high school and college, he worked part-time in the KGUN 9 newsroom. Share your story ideas and important issues with Pat by emailing pat.parris@kgun9.com or by connecting on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
