Frontline Interview: U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks speaks with a Border Patrol agent at the Calexico Border Patrol Station in El Centro, California, March 11, 2025. USBP photo by Julie Diaz

 

Question:

Tell me about your early years. Where did you grow up, and how did your early life experiences influence who you are today? What from your past got you here and made you who you are?

Answer:

I grew up in a small town in Warner Robins, Georgia. I had a single mother – she was struggling to raise two of my older half-sisters. I had an absentee father, so I was predominately raised by my grandmother. She was retired on a fixed income, so I found myself working a lot to try to help my grandmother pay the bills.

I would do any job I could find. Anything from cutting grass to picking up debris. I think I got my first real job when I was about 14 years old. I'd work full time in the summer, often part time during the school year in the peach orchard picking peaches. And it was back-breaking work. You'd start before the sun comes up, picking peaches. You’d end by the time the sun went down back at the sorting shed.

I think growing up like that, struggling and having to work just to get through high school to kind of support myself and help my grandmother get by – it taught me work ethic. One of the things I like to say is that I may not be the smartest man in the room, but there's nobody that’s going to outwork me.

 

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Question:

What are three things those experiences taught you?

Answer:

I think the main thing is humility. It really gave me a sense of humility that I've held on to my entire career. Oftentimes, when you're doing work like picking peaches and farm type work, you work alongside a lot of migrant farm workers, and you see that they're supporting their entire family, doing what you're trying to do just to support your grandmother.

So, compassion and humility. It really breaks it down for you, an understanding of what it takes to care for your family and to raise your family in this country.

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Question:

What motivated you to join the U.S. Border Patrol back in 2000?

Answer:

I went into the military right out of high school. It's pretty common for children from poor families to enlist in the military, so I enlisted in the military at 17. At 17, you still need your parents’ permission to join. My parents were willing to sign for me to join the military even though there was a looming war pending because they just couldn't afford to feed me.

I went into the military and served about 10 years. I served in combat and in peacetime, both overseas and in the United States. I took advantage of the things the military had to offer, like tuition assistance and the G.I. Bill. I started going to school at night when I had time to.

After serving my country and obtaining my degree, I started looking for other options. Most of my career in the military I was in law enforcement, so I was really trying to find something where I could continue serving my country, continue giving back, and stay in law enforcement.

I met and became friends with a few Border Patrol agents. After having a few beers and listening to their stories, I knew the Border Patrol was for me. I applied to the Border Patrol and only the Border Patrol and got accepted and hit the ground running.

I will tell you every one of the stories that they shared were true, and it convinced me to join.

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Question:

What about law enforcement resonated with you?

Answer:

When I was a young kid, growing up poor and struggling, I participated in sports and felt the camaraderie, but I felt the adults in the school system really weren't doing what they should have done. I didn't realize it back then, but where they should’ve been encouraging me and trying to promote me [they weren’t]. They didn't talk to me about college. They didn't talk to me about anything other than let's just get you through high school, get you a high school education, then you can go into the labor force somewhere. I had outstanding test scores and even graduated a year early. I didn't realize it then, but they looked down on me because I was just this poor kid, and they didn't feel like they had to invest time in me.

I got in a little bit of trouble when I was around 16 years of age driving without a license. I got stopped by a police officer, and the officer was so compassionate. He was more understanding than any teacher I ever had. He literally was like, look, this is your first offense. I know you're not a troublesome kid. And he took me home to my grandmother. I promise you the punishment I got from my grandmother was far worse than I would have gotten from the judicial system. But he exercised that discretion and made the decision that he didn't want to put me into a system for being a kid driving my grandmother’s car without her permission.

From that day forward, I knew I wanted to go into law enforcement. When I joined the military, I knew I was going to have a career in law enforcement. I wanted to have that kind of impact on people that I felt teachers and law enforcement officers should have on people.

I never turned back. I started my law enforcement career in the military and never looked back. 

That one incident, that one time that I did something wrong and got caught, and the compassion and the discretion that officer used in that situation, was impactful on my life.

 

 

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Question:

Can you tell us a little bit about your first day at the Academy?

Answer:

I'd been prior military and prior law enforcement. The marching, the uniforms, the grooming, the PT, even the law enforcement training came naturally. 

I think everybody at the Academy worries about something different. For me, from the first day, it was Spanish, and I think the biggest reason why was on day one I found out that we didn't have certified Spanish instructors. We had Spanish speaking Border Patrol agents. It was a big concern for me because I don't hear things and learn it. I have to be taught. Everyone learns differently. I knew that about myself, so I struggled with Spanish through the entire Academy. I can tell you that if I wasn't already proficient in a lot of those other aspects of the Academy, I probably wouldn’t have made it through.

I'd say about halfway through the Academy, suddenly it just clicked, and I started figuring it out. I had the nickname in the Academy, the Spanish Martyr, because every night after class, everybody would want to go out or do something. I'm like, “Nope, I'm in the Spanish lab, listening to Spanish tapes.”

 

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Question:

What were the greatest challenges you faced as a Border Patrol agent?

Answer:

That's a tough question. Probably the toughest challenge that I've had as a Border Patrol agent is getting people to understand what Border Patrol agents do. Even people that live on the border often will mistake what U.S. Border Patrol does with what Office of Field Operations does.

If you cross in between the ports of entry, no matter your citizenship, you’ve violated the law. But also, I think the American people don't understand that the Border Patrol really is a small percent of immigration and much more about protecting our country – preventing foreign terrorists from getting into the country and preventing illicit drugs from getting into the country.

Our number one mission is to safeguard the country, prevent illegal drugs, weapons, and terrorists from coming into the country and doing us harm. I do really believe that if most Americans truly understood what our real role was, there’d be a whole lot more support for the Border Patrol. We have been fighting that for over 100 years. We'll probably fight that for another 100 years. But I'm committed to messaging it every day as much as I can so that people truly understand what we do.

We shift from lifesaving, where some cowardly smuggler tosses a baby into the river and we immediately focus on saving that child, to going hands-on and getting in altercations and all out fights for our lives. We shift at a moment's notice. We're always going to be humane in the way we do our business, and I think that a lot of Americans don't see that. A lot of Americans just see us as an agency out there that is just stopping immigration, and they don't see the aspect of the weapons, the drugs, the terrorists that are coming into the country.

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Question:

Who have been some of your mentors, and what did they teach you?

Answer:

This is tough, but not because I don't have mentors that I can identify. It's tough because there have been a lot of leaders, both informal and formal leaders, that have influenced my career and have shaped who I am. Both professional staff and law enforcement alike.

If I had to identify two people, one of the greatest influences of my career as a mentor was Chief Manuel Padilla Jr., who just recently retired. Something I absolutely loved about the way Chief Padilla led was he always put people first. Sometimes it didn't work out, but that was his priority. His workforce was always his number one priority.

I know people say, well, yeah, that's what a leader is supposed to do. But it is so hard today to find leadership that actually walk the walk. Chief Padilla, over my entire career, working with him on and off, he walked that walk every day. He made it about his people.

I try daily to emulate that leadership quality. I often find Chief Padilla on my shoulder talking into my ear. Is this what's best for the agents? It's kind of scary, but I hear him in my ear, asking me if this is what's right for the agents. He is a huge influence on my career.

The other person I would say that was a phenomenal mentor is Jennifer Barreras-Rawls. She is probably one of the most intelligent, professional, smartest, and detail-oriented people I've ever had the joy of working for, with, and even led.

Detail-oriented can mean a lot of things, and it can get really frustrating trying to satisfy someone that is that detail oriented. But I can tell you that in my 35 years in a uniform, I've never worked for a more professional, detail-oriented, and intelligent leader.

 

 

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Question:

You talked about the compassion of that police officer and how that was a pivotal thing, the act of kindness and compassion. Would you say that gave you the sense of the importance of mentorship, and if so, did you carry that into your career as you've gone through the leadership ranks?

Answer:

Absolutely – the chances he took on me and the risk he took that I was going to straighten up. I've gone back and met with that officer numerous times. I met with him after I graduated boot camp. The guy was just delighted and so happy to see what I was doing with my life.

I am from Georgia, and I graduated from the Academy in Glynco. I drove home for the weekend. One of the first things I did was go meet with that officer and let him know, hey, look, look at me, I’m in law enforcement now. This has influenced me greatly, and it is one of the biggest reasons I believe it is so important to make sure I'm mentoring people.

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Question:

What inspired you to take on the immense challenge of being Chief of the Border Patrol?

Answer:

I think you're right. This is an absolute immense challenge. And it's not just a challenge because we're trying to advance border security and protect the country, but over the last four years in the Biden administration, we saw a regression in border security. Every president since I've worn a uniform has done something to advance border security. Some at a greater level than others. But every one of them did something to advance border security.

The Biden administration did the exact opposite. They regressed border security, so, you're coming into the Border Patrol at a time when morale is at an all-time low. You're coming into the Border Patrol, where we not only have to get back to where we were at before the previous administration destroyed morale and border security, but you've got to advance it well beyond that.

It is an immense challenge. But I can tell you right now, I jumped in with both feet. I was excited to do it.

For the first two years of the Biden administration, I watched what they did to the Border Patrol and retired and went to work for the state of Texas. I watched what they continued to do to, not just the men and women of the Border Patrol, but to the mission of the Border Patrol and to border security. I couldn't wait to come back and take on this challenge.

 

 

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Question:

We know you've done many things throughout your career. What's your favorite part of being here?

Answer:

It’s hard to say any one thing that I've done in the Border Patrol has been better than the other. But I can tell you what I love about the Border Patrol, and you won't find this in any other agency. You definitely won't find it in the military, and that is you can literally do a different job in the Border Patrol every year, and in 20 years, you still haven't done it all.

In my 23 years in Border Patrol, I've done ATVs, horse patrol, bikes, boats, tunnel team, investigations, and prosecutions, etc., held numerous leadership positions, and I still haven't touched half of what the Border Patrol has to offer. I think one of the greatest things about the Border Patrol is you don't get bored.

In the Border Patrol, you can continue to advance. You can continue to move your career forward, and you can go do something else while staying inside of the Border Patrol.

There’s absolutely nothing you don't get an opportunity to do. When you come out of the Border Patrol after 20 plus years, you know you’ve had a fulfilling career. I guarantee you'll sit around and tell stories and people ask, how did you do all of that? Because no other agency offers that.

 

 

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Question:

How has the situation at the southern border changed under the Trump administration? And what is making the difference on the front?

Answer:

The border has changed dramatically. I would say a complete 180 degrees, and here's why. The United States Border Patrol knows how to secure the border. We just needed an administration that would empower us to do it, support us, provide us with the resources, and let us go do it.

We're a few months into this, and we're just getting started. We've seen a level of success that most couldn’t have imagined. Under the previous administration, we saw massive amounts of people being allowed into the country. We even had instances where we were literally directed to get out of the way and allow these masses to continue to come into the country. Absolutely zero enforcement of our nation's laws, absolutely zero deterrents.

Our number one mission in the Border Patrol is to deter anyone from wanting to come in illegally. Then I think of the other key factor we must look at is the level of consequences. We are providing a consequence now. Where there’s action comes consequences. You now have the probability of being detected, apprehended, and then prosecuted and returned to your country or both.

That is a huge deterrent. We see that in the reverse migration. We are working with our foreign partners, and they're constantly informing us of large groups that are walking south from Mexico back to Guatemala. When they're being intercepted, they're saying, “Hey, we're realizing that the border is secure. We're not going to go.”

It's the agents. They know what to do. When they're not stuck inside processing massive amounts of illegal aliens and they're actually out there doing law enforcement, then you have that deterrent effect. It's deterrence. It’s consequences. It's having the support of this administration. It's having the support of Secretary Kristi L. Noem, who is tough as nails.

It's knowing that leadership has your back. That is important, messaging from this administration and from our secretary is important. They're getting out there, talking to agents. They're letting them know your mission is important, and we support you.

I went to Del Rio with Secretary Noem, and her intent behind that trip was to speak to those horse patrol agents that, as you guys are aware of, were slandered by the president and the Secretary of Homeland Security, tried and executed on public TV, and after a long investigation, guess what? They did absolutely nothing wrong. Secretary Noem made it a priority to get down there her first couple of weeks in office to say what happened to them was unacceptable and that we're not going to tolerate that.

While the previous administration rode over the Border Patrol, this administration is riding with us. I think that is huge because nothing motivates agents more than knowing that if they go out there and do their job, they're not going to be tried and prosecuted on national TV by the administration. This administration supports us. That's been huge in getting our morale back up. It is phenomenal the level of work these agents are doing. We're Border Patrol – turn us loose and let us do the job that we're trained to do. We're going to get the border secure, and we are closer than we have ever been. Our country right now has the most secure border it has had in recorded history. We’re a few months into this administration. We're just getting started. It’s all gas, no brakes downhill.

 

 

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Question:

In a nutshell, border encounters are flipping historic highs from the previous administrations with historic lows since the administration changed in January 2025. How has the Border Patrol adapted to these changing trends?

Answer:

The U.S. Border Patrol has been adapting and overcoming for over 100 years. We'll be adapting and overcoming for 100 more years. The fact is, this is probably the first time in the history of the Border Patrol where we've had this level of support, as a whole-of-government approach is being applied.

We're seeing our prosecutions go through the roof. In the last two days, we've had 100 percent prosecutions. Everything we've submitted for prosecution has been accepted. So, there is that consequence. We're adapting. It’s a whole lot easier to adapt being allowed to do your job than it is adapting while being held back from doing your job.

I knew morale was at an all-time low when I came back into the Border Patrol, and my biggest worry was how do we get this morale back to where it needs to be? I can tell you, agents being allowed to do their job has been one of the biggest morale boosters that I've seen.

You want to talk about a resilient workforce? The morale has bounced back phenomenally. It's not because the American people are cheering them on – don’t get me wrong, it is great having that support – but what’s better than that is simply being allowed to do the job they signed up for.  

Allow the agents to do their job, and look where we're at. A 95 percent decrease in traffic. A 97 percent decrease in gotaways in just a few short months. It's historic.

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Question:

What's the most important aspect about the Border Patrol that media and the public overlooks in the myriad of debates and discussions about border security?

Answer:

I think what they overlook is the number of narcotics, the amount of crime, the number of terrorists that are being kept off the streets when Border Patrol agents are doing their job. Once again, this is not only about immigration. It is about border security and knowing what is going to come across the border.

This country was built on immigrants and will not survive without immigrants. It was done so with legal migration and will continue to grow and be a better country based on our legal pathways. What you can't do is come in between the ports of entry unvetted so we don't know what is coming into this country. This is our house. We're a very inviting country, but we want to make sure that those that are entering into our country are being invited into our country, and we know who we're letting into our home.

 

 

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Question:

You talked about the importance of legal immigration. Would you define legal immigration as those immigrants who are wanting to come in with respect to the sovereign borders of the United States?

Answer:

The sovereignty of every nation is what makes them a nation. If you have no sovereign borders, you're no longer a nation. Our immigration laws are designed to protect that sovereignty of our nation. We’re open for legal immigration, but you must come here legally.

Now, if you want to come here illegally and try to violate the sovereignty of this country, you're going to be apprehended, you're going to be prosecuted, and you're going to be returned to your country.

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Question:

In your opinion, during the course of your career, what has been the most significant technology that has impacted Border Patrol operations?

Answer:

If you asked me today what the most significant technology is, that answer will change in two weeks because it continues to advance. I think the most important thing we've seen is the wall system. We talk about the wall, and people say that's infrastructure. It's not technology, but we don't build a wall and walk away from it. We have a wall system. That wall system comes with cameras. It comes with ground-based radar systems, ground sensing systems that helps us have situational awareness of the border.

I think every piece of technology that gives us situational awareness has been phenomenal. One of the strongest things I've seen develop over the last few years is the ability to apply AI to our camera systems and why that is so important to us. If we have Artificial Intelligence monitoring a bank of, say, 34 cameras in one location, AI can ping that officer or that agent and say, you want to look at this versus local traffic.

What we require is to place more officers and agents out in the field making the interdiction and not have them sitting in a tactical operation center operating 34 cameras. It has been a huge force multiplier for us. It allows us to put less agents monitoring cameras and more agents where they belong.

 

 

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Question:

Border Patrol agents face more assaults than just about any other law enforcement personnel. How can we better protect agents?

Answer:

I think we're already starting to see that. First and foremost, we need to train and equip our agents to go out and win the fight every time. Now, in addition to training and equipping our agents to make sure that we're going to win that fight every time, we also have to make sure there are consequences.

We talked about how under the previous administration the number of illegal aliens that were prosecuted for assaulting agents was little to none. We would often hear questions like, is the agent in the hospital? Is the agent losing time off work? If the answer was no, then the reply was we're not going to take the case. Not under my watch, not under this administration.

Right now, since January of this year, every single assault that has happened against an agent has been prosecuted. We've had 100% prosecution. And guess what? The assaults are starting to go down. Once again, actions have consequences. If you lay a finger on one of our agents, we're going to prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Once the word starts getting out that, hey, if you touch a Border Patrol agent, if you assault a Border Patrol agent, you will be prosecuted, which has led to assaults going down.  

We're also protecting our agents not just by arming them, equipping them, or only training them, but also ensuring that there's consequences for those actions, which, again, drives down those numbers. We have seen a drastic decrease in assaults in the last few months on the U.S. border, and we expect those numbers to continue dropping.

Now, let me be very clear. I understand that there are going to be times where someone is going to be so desperate to get away that they're still going to choose to fight. My job is to make sure that those agents are ready for that fight, and they're ready to win that fight when it happens.

 

 

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Question:

Thinking back to when you were an agent, what were some programs – or the lack thereof – that helped or would have been beneficial while serving?

Answer:

I think resiliency is where the Border Patrol was lacking, and we've made significant progress. I don't believe we're ready to say we've won yet, but again, it’s in resiliency. Having come out of the military, being warfighters, resiliency has always been a very important part of the military.

I believe we're proving that we're doing some things right, but I know we can do better. We need to invest more into our workforce. If you take care of your people, they're going to take care of the mission.

We've come a long way. I've watched our resiliency program grow over the years. I've been very impressed with it. But we're constantly reviewing it. I always tell my people, once you've done a good job, pat yourself on the back for about two minutes and then figure out what you can do to make it better.  

 

 

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Question:

You kind of hit on it, but what are your views on caring for the workforce and their families?

Answer:

Border Patrol talks about being a green family, and we mean it. I've seen the camaraderie and the family mentality in the Border Patrol, more so than I've seen it in the military, but we have to make sure we're walking that walk. We have to continue investing in our families. When we're investing in our employees, that includes their families.

We've expanded our peer support program and a lot of other resiliency programs to include immediate family members. We're going to continue doing that.

We're also investing heavily into our morale, welfare, and recreation to ensure that we are offering events and activities that bring families together, such as family days. I think it's very important for those families to be able to come to the office and see what those agents do every day, what they're dealing with every day.

Having families able to come and interact with us at work, interact with the command staff. I think it opens their eyes. We are heavily invested in it.

I can promise you we will not be backing off that investment, and we will be advancing it.

 

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Question:

You talked about Border Patrol being a family. In short, tell me what you mean by that.

Answer:

The U.S. Border Patrol is truly a green family. We have each other's back. We're always going to be there for each other. Like any family, we fight like brothers and sisters, but we are a family. We're there to support each other in times of need, whether it's on or off duty. In 35 years in uniform, I've never been in an organization that wears that title more proudly. And that is – we are a green family.

 

 

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Question:

Who was Michael Banks before the Border Patrol, and who is Michael Banks now? What has the Border Patrol given you that you didn’t have before?

Answer:

The Border Patrol's given me a lot. It's given me perspective. It's given me knowledge. I have been to places with the U.S. Border Patrol that I didn't even go to with the military. I have seen some of the most heinous crimes against women and children, serving on the border. It's opened up my eyes and given me perspective.

I have grown immensely, not just as a leader, but as a human being. I've had to learn compassion at a level that I never even knew I could find. It's just been amazing. The Border Patrol has made me a better father. It's made me a better husband. And it's definitely made me the leader I am today.

I owe a lot to the Border Patrol. That is one of the main reasons why I jumped at the opportunity to come back into the Border Patrol and lead us forward into the future.

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Question:

What are the most pressing challenges facing the Border Patrol today? What keeps you up at night in terms of long-term concern and going into the next day? Or as you go out the door?

Answer:

There's a lot that keeps me up at night. We've got a lot on our plate. We've got a lot to do. I honestly believe what keeps me up the most at night is two parts.

The first is making sure that I've done everything in my power to ensure my agents are armed with the right equipment and level of training to make sure we win that fight every time. Every agent must go home at the end of shift – that keeps me awake every night.

I think the second thing is gotaways. For those who don't understand what gotaways are, they are those unknowns. Historically, when people try to get away, when they invade, when they go to extremes to evade, they’re doing so because they've got a background that prevents them from coming into this country legally.

My concern is that every gotaway is a possible terrorist. Every gotaway is a possible criminal. Every gotaway is going to impact our communities with increased levels of crime. It's going to put Americans at a greater risk of being a victim of violent crime. Every gotaway is a possible drug load that poisons our communities.

The United States Border Patrol will be unapologetic in its enforcement of our nation's laws.

We will secure the border.

 

 

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Question:

What kind of advice would you give someone contemplating a career in the Border Patrol?

Answer:

I would tell them, you know what? There's no greater mission than that of the United States Border Patrol. I've served my country for over 35 years in one form or another, and nothing has been more rewarding to me than serving in the United States Border Patrol.

I'd also let them know that it's not going to be easy. Our Academy is one of the toughest academies out there, but when you graduate from the U.S. Border Patrol Academy, you're going to know that you earned that badge. You need to prepare yourself for an adventure. It is truly an adventure, and you will end a career having fulfilled a great mission of securing our border and protecting our nation.

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Question:

Looking forward to what is next for the U.S. Border Patrol, what’s on the horizon?

Answer:

Great things are on the horizon for the Border Patrol. You know, I say this is the best time in the history of the Border Patrol to be in the Border Patrol. We are going to be building the wall at a rapid pace. We're going to start resuming the wall we were building four years ago. We're going to be putting in waterborne buoy barriers to add another layer of defense. We're going to be upgrading our fleet. We’re going to be investing more into our workforce. We're going to be hiring more agents, increasing the number of agents that we have deployed to ensure we win the fight.

There's never been a better time to be in the Border Patrol. I couldn't be more excited about being the Chief of the Border Patrol. I'm honored to be given the opportunity to come back and work for the men and women of the U.S. Border Patrol because we're doing great things.

I'm excited about it. Every day we're gaining more control of our border, and the future is very bright for the United States Border Patrol.