Mike the Border Inspector

Hello, my name is Mike, and I am a border patrol agent at the American border.

To some travelers, I might seem like a hassle to go through, but really my job's purpose is to ensure everyone's security, especially that of my country.

At my job, every day is different - some days are busy, while others are very quiet. Every situation is different.

My job consists of questioning people and examining them. It is my duty to ask where they come from, where they are going, for what purpose and for how long. I also must inspect their baggage and vehicle. This can sometimes be tricky because people get easily offended if I inspect them. The thing is, this is my job and I truly care about our safety.

Once I am done my inspection, the travelers hand me their passports and I scan them through the machine at the station. I have to make sure that these are in fact real passports, and that the portraits resemble the people in the vehicle.

After that, they are free to go and my job as a border inspector is done.

My job entitles me to a burden of responsibility. If I allow foreigners in our country that end up harming the law, it is technically my fault.

I work under any weather and honestly, sometimes I get a little scared because I never know what kind of person I will encounter.

What's nice about my job, though, is that I work 40-hour weeks and I get to travel sometimes because I often get relocated.

I am very thankful to have been hired before 9/11, because at that point, several agents were hired. Now, since we have plenty of inspectors, the hiring is very slow and infrequent.

I was hired when I was 20 years old. The most important requirement of my job is to be a U.S. citizen.
I went to high school, did a technical training and then went to university. When I applied for my job I had to complete a series of tests on my health and my aptitudes. After that was completed, I went to the Border Patrol Academy - where I learned how to use firearms, be authoritative, and Spanish. Students who already were fluent in Spanish could leave the academy after 55 days, but it took me 94.

All in all,

I am glad that I have a job that is so important for my country. I like knowing that I can make a difference.

Mike