Cowboys, fighter jets and US Border Patrol – inside Trump’s big recruitment drive
He finds the sense of patriotism and friendship appealing, as well as the feeling of “trying to make a difference for your own country… and trying to do something yourself.”
Young adds that “many” of his male friends and contemporaries are considering a career in the military or similar field, and the number of recent hires also supports this increase in interest.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol received 34,650 applications between January and April 2025; This represents a 44% increase compared to the same four-month period in 2024. DHS credits its “historic rise” to the Trump administration’s policies and has received significant funding for stimulus.
Potential candidates left the tent with fliers advertising signing bonuses of up to $60,000 and salaries starting at $50,741, which could go as high as $110,563.
Weeks before the rodeo, an Army veteran who was on duty at another Colorado Springs Border Patrol event outlined similar motivations for exploring participating. Mike, 40, feels “stagnant” in his current job as a corrections officer and misses the sense of “belonging” he felt in the military.
“Even though I’ve hung up my uniform, I’ve never stopped serving, and I feel I have a duty to protect the country’s citizens,” he said, adding that he likes the idea of securing U.S. borders.
“I see a lot of things in the news… people not being nice, human trafficking, drug trafficking,” he said.
He says an agency like ICE is interested in the Border Patrol.
“I really want to know that I’m protecting the country instead of deporting people.”
But the Border Patrol has to compete with its counterparts from the Space Force and Air Force National Guard to find new recruits; The second was running on a trampoline, which attracted great attention from the crowd.
The Space Force, created by Trump in 2019, is tasked with securing U.S. interests “in, in, and out of space.” It is also in the midst of a hiring surge that has exceeded its targets.
“The service plans to double in size over the next five years,” a spokesperson told BBC News. In February, it was stated that the Space Force exceeded its annual hiring goal by 125%.
