Trump Hails Hispanic Border Patrol Agents as ‘Fantastic,’ Labels LA Mayor Incompetent

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 and others for performing their duties in a Truth Social post on Wednesday morning.

Trump lauded Perez and rank-and-file agents for what he described as outstanding work securing the nation’s borders while condemning Bass as “incompetent” for criticizing Hispanic recruits and agents.

The president emphasized that more than half of U.S. Border Patrol personnel are Hispanic, calling it a point of pride that counters political attacks framing 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.

He accused Bass and “other Third Rate Politicians” of complaining about agents simply doing their jobs, adding that “nobody understands the Border better than our fantastic Hispanic population, which continues to, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

The remarks followed Bass’s comments on CNN where she expressed sadness over a report highlighting new recruits and agents who are Hispanic and rejected criticism that they were “rounding up their own kind.” Bass claimed agents might struggle after encountering “what actually happens in real life” and suggested some join Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for financial reasons, reflecting economic stress among Americans.

According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, more than half of Border Patrol agents are Hispanic, with the CNN segment featuring agents who described enforcement as protecting their communities. One recruit, Juan Peralta, dismissed the idea that immigration violators are “his kind,” saying, “They didn’t come in the right way.” Another agent, Claudio Herrera, stated, “I’m protecting both sides of the border.”

The Border Patrol union strongly countered Bass’s comments 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 making agents’ jobs harder 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 time period last year.