US Border Patrol chief Raul L. Ortiz is retiring following end of Title 42 restrictions at US-Mexico border
USA(AP) – The head of the U.S. Border Patrol is stepping down following major changes at the U.S.-Mexico border that came with the end of Title 42 pandemic restrictions.
Chief Raul Ortiz said in a note to staff Tuesday obtained by The Associated Press that he has decided to retire effective June 30.
Ortiz has been on the job for 32 years and held many different jobs.
“I leave at ease, knowing we have a tremendous uniformed and professional workforce, strong relationships with our union partners, and outstanding leaders who will continue to tirelessly advocate for you each day,” he said in the note.
READ MORE : What is Title 42, why is it ending and what’s happening now at the US-Mexico border?
The Border Patrol and its 19,000 agents have been under a constant spotlight for years. Under Title 42, migrants were returned over the border and denied the right to seek asylum. U.S. officials turned away migrants more than 2.8 million times. The restrictions were in place since March 2020 and ended May 11. The Biden administration has put in place a new set of restrictions at the border that are meant to discourage migrants from crossing illegally and opened up other legal pathways.
It’s not clear yet who will replace Ortiz.
When Raul Ortiz becomes Chief, United States Border Patrol ?
Raul L. Ortiz became the 25th Chief of the United States Border Patrol on August 15, 2021.
He oversees domestic border security operations outside the Ports of Entry along our nation’s borders, which includes more than 5,000 miles with Canada, nearly 2,000 miles with Mexico, hundreds of coastal miles, and our territories in the Caribbean. He proudly leads more than 20,000 Border Patrol Agents and Professional Staff across the country as they perform the homeland security mission.
Chief Ortiz draws over 30 years of law enforcement experience to ensure the more than 20,000 Border Patrol Agents and Professional Staff across the country have the training, resources, equipment, and support they need to carry out the homeland security mission.
Chief Ortiz began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol on May 13, 1991, in San Diego Sector as a member of Academy Class 247. Chief Ortiz worked his way up through the ranks at Chula Vista, Brownfield, and Campo stations. In 2000, he promoted to Del Rio Sector, where he served as Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge and Patrol Agent in Charge of the Comstock Station. He also served as an Assistant Chief Patrol Agent at Del Rio Sector Headquarters.
Chief Ortiz began his career with the U.S. Border Patrol on May 13, 1991, in San Diego Sector as a member of Academy Class 247. Chief Ortiz worked his way up through the ranks at Chula Vista, Brownfield, and Campo stations. In 2000, he promoted to Del Rio Sector, where he served as Assistant Patrol Agent in Charge and Patrol Agent in Charge of the Comstock Station. He also served as an Assistant Chief Patrol Agent at Del Rio Sector Headquarters.
Chief Ortiz took his dedication to national security to the global stage in 2009, where he served as Director of the Border Management Task Force, Senior Advisor to the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan, and as the DHS Attaché in Kabul, Afghanistan. He returned to the United States in 2012, when he promoted to Deputy Chief of Law Enforcement Operational Programs at Border Patrol Headquarters in Washington, D.C., where he served as principal advisor on enforcement operations and administrative requirements to accomplish the Border Patrol’s strategic plan.
Chief Ortiz returned to the field in 2013 as Deputy Chief Patrol Agent of the Rio Grande Valley Sector. He returned to Del Rio Sector as the Chief Patrol Agent in 2019, and on March 2, 2020, entered on duty as the Deputy Chief of the United States Border Patrol.
Prior to joining the U.S. Border Patrol, he served in the U.S. Army’s 8th Infantry Division in Baumholder, Germany. He attended the University of Texas in San Antonio and Southwest Texas Junior College, completing studies in political science and criminal justice.
Chief Ortiz attended the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Leadership Institute and the Harvard Kennedy School’s Executive Education for Senior Managers in Government. He is a Federal Emergency Management Agency Certified Master Exercise Practitioner.
His awards include two Meritorious Honor Awards from the Department of State, the Certificate of Achievement from the State of Texas and the Superior Civilian Service Medal – the Department of Defense’s third highest civilian honor.