Rep. Tony Gonzales pushes bill to protect CBP officers during major events

Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas, is calling on lawmakers to strengthen protections for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel when they assist local and state law enforcement.

In January, Gonzales introduced the Homeland Threat Response Act, which would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to authorize the deployment and assistance of CBP for investigations of certain acts of violence, shootings and massacres, and for other purposes, including large events.

He cited BORTAC (Border Patrol Tactical Unit) and BORSTAR (Border Patrol Search, Trauma, and Rescue), elite units within the U.S. Border Patrol’s Special Operations Group (SOG), which are often called upon to assist local authorities in areas unrelated to immigration enforcement.

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U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) speaks alongside U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) during a press conference on border security outside the U.S. Capitol November 14, 2023, in Washington, DC. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

“They’re doing it at a risk,” Gonzales told Fox News Digital, saying CBP personnel currently do not have the same level of protection as other law enforcement officers when working in areas outside their jurisdiction. “They are called and asked to operate in other spaces that are not necessarily their primary function.”

“It creates a level playing field for protection,” he added.

The legislation was passed as the United States prepares to host several major sporting events for which CBP may be called upon to assist, Gonzales said. On Sunday, Super Bowl LX will be played in Santa Clara, California.

Additionally, several U.S. cities will host FIFA World Cup matches in July and Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics.

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A bill that would strengthen protections for elite U.S. Border Patrol agents called to assist state and local law enforcement was introduced in Congress in January.

“It will be this group that will keep us safe,” Gonzales said.

Border Patrol SOG teams have supported or directly participated in several major domestic incidents, including mass shootings, capture of criminal illegal immigrants and prisoners.

Gonzales noted that SOG personnel are among the most well-trained law enforcement officers amid talks by some Democrats who want to defund the Department of Homeland Security due to the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration, particularly in Minnesota.

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“I see the Democrats giving in to the liberal left who want to cut funding and make it harder for law enforcement,” he said. “Let’s make sure that a federal officer in this space is not thinking about ‘what if…’, they are just focused on their mission and accomplishing the mission as they are trained to do.”

Fox News Digital has contacted CBP.