Understaffed, Overworked at US Border?

Sen. Chuck Schumer is calling for an investigation into the current staffing situation at the nation's border crossings.

The New York Democrat wants the Government Accountability Office to examine the training, recruitment and attrition rates of border guards, following a highly publicized lapse involving a tuberculosis patient who was mistakenly allowed to cross the U.S.-Canada border.

Although a check of the man's passport flagged him as someone who should be detained, a U.S. border guard waved him through, reportedly ignoring the warning message on his computer screen.

"Even though the agent was warned that the man should be detained at all costs -- the individual was still allowed to drive into this country no questions asked," Schumer said in a news release.

The Associated Press said the guard thought the TB patient looked perfectly healthy, so he disregarded the warning as "discretionary." The guard has been reassigned to administrative duties, pending the outcome of the investigation.

"It's high time we have a top to bottom investigation of our border control practices," Schumer said. "These agents are our nation's first line of defense and we need to make sure they get the support and training they deserve," he added.
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