New Border Patrol chief is first woman to lead agency

WASHINGTON — U.S. Customs and Border Protection named Carla Provost to lead the Border Patrol on Thursday, making her the first woman to hold the agency’s top job in its 94-year history.

The announcement was not a surprise, as Provost has been the Border Patrol’s acting chief for more than a year. She will oversee 20,000 agents as well as the Trump administration’s effort to construct a border wall and clamp down on illegal migration. Only about 5 percent of U.S. border agents are women, and Provost, 48, said her appointment would send a signal to potential recruits at a time when the agency has struggled to meet its hiring goals and retain its workforce. “There are many women who have paved the way for me getting here,” she said. “I may be the first female chief of the Border Patrol but I am certain I will not be the last.”

Provost’s promotion — which does not require Senate confirmation — comes days after 30-year Border Patrol veteran Ronald Vitiello was nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next director of U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement. Vitiello had been in charge of the Border Patrol in the role of acting deputy commissioner of CBP.

The Border Patrol has more than quadrupled in size during Provost’s career, and Trump’s border security proposals include provisions to add 5,000 additional agents.

Provost