Proyecto Libertad Director Jonathan Jones says that is it difficult enough getting people to speak out, much less file a complaint. Many people have family members who work with the Border Patrol and in an area where jobs are hard to find, a good federal job is important to keep, Jones said. To a lot of people it is simply the way things are. In contrast, INS officials maintain that Border Patrol agents are among the most highly trained federal officers and are held to high moral standards. The Border Patrol training program is one of the longest and most difficult of any law enforcement agency.
Agents also receive six months of post-academy training at the sector to which they are assigned.
The post-academy training involves both classroom and field work and agents remain on probation for a total of twelve months. The Border Patrol Academy in 1994 also began a cultural awareness training program with officials of the Government of Mexico. Academy instructors attended seminars on subjects such as Mexican history and culture, as well as the role of the Mexican Consular office. They are also briefed routinely on border issues of concern to both the U.S. and Mexico. But critics say that no matter what the official policy is in Washington, D.C., the rank and file agents in the field are operating in a different environment.