2020 U.S. Border Patrol Strategy

For nearly 100 years the U.S. Border Patrol has been drawn to action to safeguard the nation’s borders. The work we did then, and the work we do now, is bound by a common purpose. We must achieve operational control of the border. We must make our communities safer for all Americans. After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Border Patrol underwent significant change; doubling our workforce and our resources. As a result, we calibrated our strategy to allocate these resources based on detailed threat and risk assessments. This process led to the risk-based approach used in the 2012–2016 Border Patrol Strategic Plan. Now, at the core of the 2020 U.S. Border Patrol Strategy is a holistic, innovative approach to achieving Operational Control (OPCON) of the border.