He finds the sense of patriotism and camaraderie appealing, as well as “trying to make a difference for your own country…and trying to do something yourself.” The teenager adds that “most” of his male friends and contemporaries are considering careers in the military or similar, and recent recruitment figures support that increase in interest. According
He finds the sense of patriotism and camaraderie appealing, as well as “trying to make a difference for your own country…and trying to do something yourself.”
The teenager adds that “most” of his male friends and contemporaries are considering careers in the military or similar, and recent recruitment figures support that increase in interest.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol received 34,650 applications between January and April 2025, a 44% increase over the same four-month period in 2024. DHS attributes the “historic spike” to Trump administration policies and has received significant funding for incentives.
Potential recruits left the store with flyers advertising signing bonuses of up to $60,000 and salaries starting at $50,741, which can go up to $110,563.
Weeks before the rodeo, an Army veteran at another Colorado Springs Border Patrol event described similar motivations for exploring the possibility of joining. Mike, 40, feels “stuck” in his current job as a correctional officer and misses the sense of “belonging” he had in the military.
“Even though I hung up my uniform, I never stopped serving, and I feel I have a duty to protect the country’s citizens,” he said, adding that he liked the idea of securing America’s borders.
“I see a lot of things on the news… people who are just not nice, human trafficking, drug smuggling,” he said.
He says he is more attracted to the Border Patrol than an agency like ICE.
“Instead of just deporting people, I want to really know that I’m protecting the country.”
But the Border Patrol must compete for new recruits with its counterparts in the Space Force and the Air Force National Guard, the latter of which pulled out a springboard that drew widespread interest from the crowd.
The Space Force, created by Trump in 2019, is tasked with protecting American interests “in, from and to space.” It has also been in the midst of a recruiting surge, surpassing goals.
“The service aims to double in size over the next five years,” a spokesperson told BBC News. In February, Space Force exceeded its annual recruiting goal by 125%, they said.
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