Please read the below Open Letter to America signed by over 200 retired Homeland Security Professionals.
The majority of those who signed this letter were in senior leadership positions prior to their retirement. The first-hand experience and years of service for each signer is remarkable. None of these signers were invited to come onto the open letter by any PAC (Political Action Committee) political organization or the Trump Campaign.
The extreme concern for the welfare of our nation, our national sovereignty, and the welfare and future of Americans led these professionals to come together.
The United States is under active assault both across our once far more secure borders (north and southern) as well as from within by those holding public office at various levels and degrees of influence and power. The signers on this open letter have placed love for country and their fellow American above worry over being politically correct or the feedback and fallout that could follow. Much like those in the 13 colonies back in 1775, these patriots chose to stand and be counted no matter the cost.
I pray this demonstration of 200 names at least speaks to your heart a bit if not much. I pray you are able to find your voice like these fellow Americans who signed a letter for all to see.
We truly are at war to preserve this exceptional nation.
United States Homeland Security Professionals Open Letter to America
October 2024
Dear America,
On November 5th you will select a new president to lead us. The single most important factor when evaluating the candidates should be ensuring the safety and security of the United States. Of the countless issues to consider, every one of them is dependent upon our national security. National
security has many facets, but it does not exist without enforceable international borders. In this election, there is no need to speculate what each candidate might do. When reviewing their records you can see both candidates have very clear, but distinctly different track records.
The Biden/Harris administration enacted policies that systematically dismantled a proven 27-year bi-partisan border security strategy that prevented crime, both at the border and in towns across America, through deterrence and consequences. The appalling results were immediate and will have lasting consequences. US Customs and Border Protection, the frontline of America’s defense against cartels and Human trafficking syndicates, was forced to pull law enforcement personnel from critical enforcement duties protecting the borders to cope with over 10 million illegal aliens. This record setting illegal immigration overwhelmed every aspect of border security.
Unfortunately, with the majority of our borders left unprotected, approximately two million illegal aliens and narcotics smugglers were observed but evaded apprehension, disappearing unchecked into your neighborhoods. Even more frightening are the unknown numbers that made it through in areas of the border completely unpatrolled. Additionally, millions of aliens were intentionally released into the United States with a simple paper giving them a notice to appear in court at some future date, many years from now.
Pundits and politicians on both sides of the political spectrum continue to overcomplicate border
security. Border security is simply the ability, and willingness, to know and control who and what enters our homeland. Similar to our personal homes, if we cannot control who and what enters our home then we have zero real security. Our nation is no different; border security is national security.
Immigration policy is not synonymous with border security. However, immigration policy and
immigration law directly affect border security. Immigration policy can enable or destroy border security.
Bottom line, as we have seen in the last three and a half years, immigration policy encouraging fraud and illegal entry, decimates our nation’s ability to know and control who, or what enters our homeland.
Illegal immigration also erodes our legal immigration system and forces legal immigrants to the back of the line. Families with relatives here in the United States, doctors, engineers, even legal migrant workers, are all negatively impacted by unfettered illegal aliens who were allowed to jump to the front of the line. Additionally, when illegal aliens are released in significant numbers into the US, the incentivized follow-on illegal immigration will always exceed our nation’s ability to control it. Finally, consider the fact when discussing immigration policy, if we cannot, or will not control who is allowed to enter our homeland then any policy discussion becomes irrelevant.
Furthermore, transnational criminal organizations (TCO), commonly known as cartels, control illegal immigration to strategically distract and overwhelm US law enforcement. This tactic has been very successful over the last several years, as you have seen in the news reports highlighting the terrorists, murderers, rapists, violent gangs and record levels of fentanyl that made it into the US. The TCOs have been able to operate with minimal risk of being apprehended while increasing their profits by billions of dollars, all courtesy of policies implemented by the Biden/Harris administration.
President Trump respected the experience of career border security professionals and listened to our advice. When border security experts explained to President Trump how illegal immigration empowers the cartels to control who and what enters our home, he listened and acted. The Trump administration supported policies and programs that reduced illegal immigration, instilled integrity into our legal immigration system and ensured that the US government was doing all we could to control who and what entered our homeland. The borders of the US were never more secure than they were during the Trump administration.
This same expert information, evidence, and advice was offered to the Biden/Harris administration. However, they chose to ignore the career border security experts and instead, under VP Harris’ watch, idealist political appointees with zero border security experience were empowered to implement disastrous and deadly border security policy for the United States. The devastating results have handed complete control of our border to the cartels, provided them with astronomical record profits, ballooned legal immigration backlogs, and have l0 millions of illegal aliens in the country.
The men and women whose signatures appear below, each an honorably retired career civil servant that specialized in border security, dedicated their careers to the protection of this great nation. Most are not interested in engaging in any political actions other than voting but realized after witnessing the unravelling of the rule of law at our borders and the horrific impacts on our local communities with heinous central and south American gang crimes, and the terrible loss of life from the fentanyl crisis that this election is too important to stand on the sidelines. Campaign ads can portray anything. We encourage every American to take a lesson from law enforcement and simply follow the evidence of the last eight years. The first four resulted in the most secure border in history and the other has resulted in significant increases in the loss of life and record illegal immigration.
Assuming you care about border security as much as we do, the choice is clear. President Trump is the only candidate that we can trust to secure our nation’s borders.
Rodney Scott, Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
R.P. Buck Brandemuehl, Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Thomas Homan, Director, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Mark Morgan, Former Acting Commissioner CBP, Former Chief, US Border Patrol
Mathew Hudak, Deputy Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Ronald S. Colburn, Deputy Chief-Retired, DHS/CBP, US Border Patrol
Aaron Heikte, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Michael S. Williams, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired U.S. Border Patrol
Chris Clem, Chief Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Kelly Good, Deputy Executive Director- Retired, US Border Patrol
Michael Sheehy, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, Miami Sector, Retired
Joel Martinez, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Mark Haynes, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John Roseborough, Senior Patrol Agent – Retired, US Border Patrol
Brian S. Hastings, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jason Bell, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Matthew J. Roggow, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent – Retired, US Border Patrol
Brian Martin, Directorate Chief – Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Joseph Banco, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent, New Orleans Sector, Retired
John Smietana Jr, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Barbara E. Matthews, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Alan F. Zeitvogel, (A) Division Chief LE Ops-Retired, US Border Patrol
Hector M. Regalado, Special Operation Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
Michael J. Clark, Operations Officer – Retired, US Border Patrol
Irvin Ray Harris, Special Agent-Retired, USINS (former Border Patrol)
David J. McElheran, Border Patrol Agent-Retired US Border Patrol
Steven J. Anderson, Supervisory Air & Marine Agent-Retired, Air & Marine Operations
Victor J. Mancini, Assistant Chief – Retired, US Border Patrol
Genaro F. Miranda, Assistant Chief – Retired, US Border Patrol
Dennis W. Harmon, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent – Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Derrall Brown, Sector Intelligence Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Marion S. Byrum, Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer- ICE-Retired
Kevin L. Nix, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Bruce H. Roberts, Watch Commander-Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Jose R. Martinez, Special Operations Supervisor U.S. Border Patrol
Patrick T. Murray, Assistant Field Office Director (Retired) ICE/ERO Seattle
Raul R. Valadez, Field Operations Supervisor (Retired) US Border Patrol
Jimmy F. Vance, Watch Commander-Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Daniel D. Hann II, Patrol Agent in Charge (Retired), U.S. Border Patrol
David Espino, Operations Officer (Retired). U.S. Border Patrol
Darrel Walraven, Patrol Agent in Charge (Retired) U.S. Border Patrol
Jeffery Abrams, Senior Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Brent Johnson, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Roger Kemp, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge – Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Daniel D. Doty, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge – Retired, US Border Patrol
Richard Ball, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Thomas Jenkins, Assistant Chief – Retired, US Border Patrol
Ashley Taylor, Special Operations Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
Blanca Flanagan, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jeff Snavely, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
M.G. Boone, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Gary Viens, Deputy Division Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Rafael I Cano, Assistant Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Barbara Kermzner, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jennie Marquez, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent – Retired, CBP/OTD Artesia
Steve R. Martinez, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent –Retired, El Centro Sector
Kai Libby, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Patrick M. Seeley, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
John W. Paisley, Associate Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Gilbertina Paisley, Assistant Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Scott Zimmer, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Kimberly Young, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Travis Darling, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jose M. Hernandez, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent – Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Jason A. Feldman, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent – Retired, U.S, Border Patrol
Michael E. Powell, Director – NBCC – CBP/USBP – Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Tom McKenney, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Dean Williams, Supervisory Air Interdiction Agent- Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Matthew Whittaker, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent (Ret), US Border Patrol
Dorian LaPaglia, Senior Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Johnny M. Meadors, Assistant Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol-Headquarters
Jim Pilkington, Chief of Staff -Retired, DHS/ICE/ERO Targeting Operations Division
Fernando Grijalva, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Kenneth Johnson, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Edward Harper, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent -Retired, US Border Patrol
Jason Heckler, Special Operations Supervisor- Retired, US Border Patrol
John Fogle, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, US Border Patrol
Arvin E Sepulveda, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Jerry Knight, Branch Chief-Retired ICE, Homeland Security Investigation
Rafael Castañeda, Field Operations Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
David Lambrix, Port Director-Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Shawn Palmer, Special Operations Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
Roy Dan Cason, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Richard Cruz, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Leo Ayala, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Joseph W Mason, Filed Operations Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
Todd Bryant, Deputy Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Glenn Fouty, Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Chuck Huthmaker, Chief Officer-Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Anthony M. Fiorita, Senior Patrol Agent/ National Recruiter- Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
Brent Wies, Supervisory Detention and Deportation Officer-Retired, USICE
Hugo Ruthling, Special Agent, US Customs and Immigration Enforcement
Raul G. Garza, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Rafael Castaneda, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
John Wallace, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Jaime X. Garza, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
J.P. Mansell, Director, CBP Firearms and Tactics- Retired, US Border Patrol
Arturo Torrez, Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Johnny Garcia, Watch Commander- Retired, US Border Patrol
Lino Giulio Mescia, Border Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
William G. Justice, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent- Retired, US Border Patrol
Mike Lawler, Associate Chief- Retired, US Border Patrol
David Burke, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent K-9- Retired, US Border Patrol
Elias Herrera Jr., Field Operations Supervisor- Retired, US Border Patrol
Christopher I Ewing, Special Operations Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
Senorina Ewing, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John Strauch, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
David Spear, Special Agent-Retired ICE,
Homeland Security Investigations
Stephen Henesy, Assistant Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
John W. Krause, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jared Browne, Special Agent-Retired, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Peter J. Forcelli, Deputy Assistant Director-Retired, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
William E. Seward, Commander, USCG (Retired)
Robert Vazquez, Border Patrol Agent -Intelligence-Retired, US Border Patrol
Craig Olson, Port Director-Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Kevin Wiley, Associate Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Steve Gulotta, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John Esquivel, (A)Chief Patrol Agent -Retired, US Border Patrol
Marco Saltarelli , Special Agent-Retired, ICE/Homeland Security Investigations
Hilario Leal, Assistant Field Office Director-Retired, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Kyle Hobart, (A)Deputy Assistant Director-Retired, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Rene Dorantes, Senior Federal Air Marshal-Retired, Transportation and Security Administration
Thomas Feeley, Field Officer Director-Retired, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Christopher Short, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Duke Conchola, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Brian Shawler, Supervisory Air and Marine Agent-Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Frank Carrillo, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
ScoƩ Moore, Director-investigations-Retired, Office of Air and Marine, CBP
ScoƩ M Plasse, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent–Intelligence (Retired), US Border Patrol
David Krohn, Supervisory Borer Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Joe Vaiasuso, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Dick Graham Jr. Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Robert V. Argento, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Gary L. Tharpe, Deputy Chief-Retired, Northern and Coastal Operations, US Border Patrol
Brian R. Armstrong, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Raymond V. Russell, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Michael Meshirer,
William C Doggess, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Harry Beall, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Edgar J. Hernandez, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Louie Wayne Collins Jr. Division Chief -Retired, US Border Patrol
Michele Albertson, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Lance E. Martin, Special Operations Supervisor -Retired, US Border Patrol
Anthony R. Pool, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Thaddeus Cleveland, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol, Sheriff -Terrell Ct. TX
Christopher S. Myhra, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Michael L. Underdown, Chief Patrol Agent – Retired, US Border Patrol
Lynne M. Underdown, Chief Patrol Agent – Retired, US Border Patrol
James M. Obert, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent – Retired, US Border Patrol
Larry Blakemore, Senior Patrol Agent/Supervisory CBP Officer-Retired, US CBP
Mark Lieberman, Deputy Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
George W. Gale, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Mary Olivares, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Bart Swindle, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Hunter Davis, Director-Retired, Air Marine Operations, US Customs and Border Protection
Martin Aguilar Supervisory Border Patrol Agent Retired, U.S Border Patrol
James Parker, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John M. Sisk II, Special Agent/DHS Attaché-Retired, Homeland Security Investigations
Martha Irwin, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Kenneth Burton, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Richard K. Moody, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John Wagner, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Kurt R. Weismantel, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Arlin Kaul, Patrol Agent in Charge-Retired, US Border Patrol
Lizdelia Lerma, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Herman Tiger Hunt Jr. Senior Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Robert C Gilson, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Alex van Gils, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Patrick Straub, , Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Rosendo Hinojosa, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Marion Leon Stroud Jr. Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
James R. Herrick, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
David M. Shipley, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Clark Messer, Director-Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Logan Wayne Snider, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Richard Haynes, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Scott Gill, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Hermann Rivera, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
JoAnne Federico, Assistant Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
John Scott Tedford, Senior Patrol Agent, USBP. Brown Field
Greg N. Terrones, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-retired, US Border Patrol.
Arthur Contreras, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Rowel Smith, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John A. Tedford, Field Operations Supervisor-Retired, US Border Patrol
Tony Ortiz, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Kevin Orr. Assistant Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Gil Maza, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Robert J Carney, Supervisor-Retired, Air and Marine Operations, US/CBP
Bruce Busby, HSI Criminal Investigator, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement
Carlos Lopez, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Chris Wells, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Charles McLoughlin, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
John A. Lopez, Watch Commander-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jason Hallmark, Deportation Officer-Retired, US Customs and Immigration Enforcement
Jorge Arcinienga, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Eloisa L. Bejarano, Senior Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
William Kirkman, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Richard F. Lopez, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Ted Stark, Supervisory Special Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jesus Hernandez, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent, US Border Patrol
Terrence M. Donnelly, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Jose Del Campo Martin, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Freddy Medina, U.S. Border Patrol Agent Retired, US Border Patrol
Jesse Shaw, Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
David P Ward, Resident Agent in Charge- Retired, DHS/Homeland Security Investigations
Bob Hood, Assistant Port Director-Retired, US Customs and Border Protection
Dana E. Graydon, Associate Chief-Retired, US Border Patrol
Paul Moran, Assistant Chief Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Richard Fisher, Border Patrol Agent-Retired, US Border Patrol
Lisa Hoechst, Chief of Staff-Retired, US Customs and Immigration Enforcement
Cliff Timmons, Deportation Officer, US Immigration and Enforcement
John G. Derrah, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
David Maibaum, Supervisory Border Patrol Agent- Retired, U.S. Border Patrol
©2024 Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D. All rights reserved.