This is important for people to grasp going into the 2024 election. Is Kamala Harris prepared to protect our schools? So far that answer is NO.
The tragic mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, left 19 children and two teachers dead. Among the first responders were U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel, who arrived promptly but encountered numerous obstacles during the incident. Following the shooting, CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR) conducted an investigation that exposed serious deficiencies in the agency’s handling of the situation, including confusion over legal authority, lack of proper training, and disorganized command-and-control. These failures, which occurred under the Biden administration, highlight significant issues within the federal response apparatus, which could have been addressed earlier through clearer policy directives and improved interagency coordination.
The OPR report pointed out that CBP personnel, despite being on the scene early, were hindered by uncertainty regarding their legal authority in a non-federal emergency. CBP typically operates in federal jurisdictions, such as enforcing border security and addressing federal crimes, but responding to an active shooter in a local elementary school posed legal questions. The agency had no clear guidelines to address their role in local emergencies like Uvalde, resulting in hesitation and delayed decision-making during a critical time when swift action was needed. This failure to establish clear parameters of responsibility raises concerns about how well federal agencies are equipped to handle emergencies outside their primary jurisdiction.
Beyond the question of legal authority, the OPR investigation also identified a glaring lack of a structured command-and-control framework during the response. With multiple law enforcement agencies present, including local police and CBP, the absence of a designated leader or coordinated effort led to significant delays. One of the most tragic consequences of this failure was the delay in breaching the classroom where the shooter was located. The absence of coordination was compounded by the fact that CBP personnel were unfamiliar with the layout of the school and other critical areas, further slowing down their response.
Training inadequacies were another major factor that contributed to the ineffective handling of the situation. The OPR investigation found that CBP training programs were largely focused on incidents occurring on federal property, leaving personnel ill-prepared for mass-casualty events like active shooter situations in civilian locations. For instance, there was a lack of training related to breaching tactics—skills that proved vital in the Uvalde shooting, where law enforcement struggled to enter a locked classroom. Despite these shortcomings, the report cleared CBP personnel of any legal violations and did not recommend disciplinary actions. However, the gaps in preparedness and execution cannot be overlooked, especially given the avoidable loss of life.
In response to the findings, CBP leadership has pledged to make immediate changes. Key recommendations include clarifying the legal authority of CBP personnel in non-federal emergencies, improving interagency coordination, and updating training protocols to better prepare for future active shooter scenarios. The agency also plans to enhance its policies for working with state and local law enforcement, ensuring that future responses are more unified and decisive.
One of the most significant proposed reforms is the expansion of training on the Incident Command System (ICS), a framework designed to streamline coordination among various agencies during emergencies. By extending ICS training to supervisory personnel and integrating it into leadership roles, CBP aims to prevent future failures in command and control. Additionally, the agency plans to introduce more advanced training on the use of breaching equipment and medical triage, further strengthening its operational readiness for similar crises.
While these corrective actions represent a step in the right direction, it’s important to acknowledge that the systemic issues revealed in the Uvalde response occurred under the leadership of the Biden-Harris administration. The President may not have been directly involved in the on-the-ground response, but as the head of the federal government, Biden holds ultimate responsibility for the agencies under his authority, including CBP. The administration could have taken proactive steps earlier to ensure federal agencies like CBP had clear guidelines for responding to local emergencies and better coordination with local law enforcement. Failure to provide such clarity contributed to the confusion and delays that marked the Uvalde response.
The Robb Elementary School shooting exposed critical flaws in emergency preparedness and response by multiple agencies, including CBP. The lack of clarity regarding CBP’s role, insufficient training, and disorganized command structure during the incident were contributing factors to the devastating loss of life. While CBP’s leadership has taken steps to address these issues, the Biden administration’s oversight of federal emergency preparedness leaves much to be desired. Going forward, it is crucial that the administration prioritize reforms that clarify agency roles in non-federal emergencies and ensure that law enforcement personnel at all levels are better equipped to handle mass-casualty incidents.
For more information, read the entire press release from the US Customs and Border Protection Agency from Thursday: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Releases Findings of its Investigation of the Response to the Mass Shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas
MORE ON UVALDE FROM BEN BERGQUAM
See our previous coverage of this Biden-Harris disaster: