Trump Praises Border Patrol’s Hispanic Agents as “Fantastic” Amid LA Mayor Criticism
By Charlie McCarthy
Wednesday, December 31, 2025
President Donald Trump praised National Border Patrol Council union leader Paul Perez and numerous Hispanic agency members who recently faced criticism from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for performing their duties.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning, Trump commended Perez and rank-and-file agents for what he described as exceptional work securing the nation’s borders while labeling Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass “incompetent” for targeting Hispanic recruits and agents.
Trump highlighted that over half of U.S. Border Patrol personnel identify as Hispanic, calling it a point of pride that counters political narratives framing border enforcement as anti-immigrant.
“Paul Perez and the Border Patrol have done a fantastic job, and so proud that more than half are of Hispanic heritage,” Trump wrote in his post. He added that Bass and “other Third Rate Politicians” were “complaining about” agents simply doing their jobs, asserting that “nobody understands the Border better than our fantastic Hispanic population, which continues to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Trump also cited record enlistment numbers and pledged to maintain strong recruitment efforts, emphasizing the administration’s push to restore border order and rebuild morale in federal law enforcement.
“There is no group I am more proud of than Border Patrol and ICE,” he stated.
The remarks followed Bass’ comments on CNN, where she expressed sadness over a report highlighting Hispanic recruits and agents who rejected criticism that they were “rounding up their own kind.” Bass, a Democrat leading the nation’s second-largest city, suggested new agents might struggle after encountering border realities and claimed some individuals join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for financial reasons.
According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, more than half of Border Patrol agents are Hispanic. The CNN segment included Hispanic agents who described their work as protecting their communities. One recruit, Juan Peralta, dismissed the idea that immigration violators are “his kind,” stating, “They didn’t come in the right way.” Another agent, Claudio Herrera, said, “I’m protecting both sides of the border.”
The Border Patrol union strongly contested Bass’ remarks in a December 26 post on X, asserting Latino recruits and agents do not regret enforcing the law. “WE are ALL U.S. Border Patrol agents!” the union wrote, accusing sanctuary city politicians of complicating agents’ responsibilities by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens and refusing local police cooperation with federal enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security reported monthly averages of an 84% increase in Border Patrol agent new hires compared to the same period last year.
