ANALYSIS: Sluggish Spurs show that Angeball just ain't what it used to be
DANIA BEACH, Florida (AP) — Border Patrol agents are tasked with enforcing hotly contested immigration policies as many Americans at both ends of the political spectrum look askance at the border — and the agents. That's taking a mounting toll, so the agency is training more among its ranks to become chaplains and provide spiritual care for their fellow agents on and off the job. “That’s a really hard thing to deal with, as things tend to flip from one side to the other, and we’re still in the crossfire,” said Border Patrol assistant chief and chaplaincy program manager Spencer Hatch. Unlike the police or military, which recruit faith leaders to serve as chaplains, the Border Patrol trains mostly lay agents endorsed by their faith denominations to become chaplains through a 2.5 week academy. Their numbers have grown to about 240 from 130 four years ago. Three times a year, an academy is held at a different Border Patrol station. About a dozen Border Patrol personnel, plus a few Fish and Wildlife Service and Bureau of Land Management officers, graduated from the most recent academy, held near Miami earlier this month. The program, and a nonreligious, mental-health focused peer support program, were started by grassroots efforts in the 1990s. Chaplains stay in their regular jobs, but are on call to assist. Border Patrol agents say they're motivated by the desire to protect U.S. borders from security threats, including the powerful cartels that control much of the border dynamics. They also often rescue migrants lost and dying in the harsh deserts that line the southern U.S. border. But many agents feel the American public sees them as obstacles to migrants seeking a better life in the United States. They often tell their children to say their parent does “government work” for fear of reprisals, especially in the border communities where they live. That dissonance between upholding a duty they feel proud of, and getting called “terrible names” for it, adds an emotional toll to the already dangerous, often isolating work the agents do. That's where the chaplains come in — to help their fellow 20,000 agents cope and prevent the trauma from degenerating into family crises, addiction or even suicide. While most chaplains are Christian, with a smattering of Muslim and Jewish agents, they don’t offer faith-specific worship and only bring up religion if the person they’re helping does first. Rather, they are a comforting presence during critical moments like assisting a suicidal colleague, notifying a family their loved one was killed on the job, and counseling those dealing with addiction, survivor guilt and other traumas. Those are the scenarios that chaplains-in-training practice role-playing at the academy. They also learn about communication and family dynamics, because constant redeployments — some up to 9 times over 18 months during the record border crossings early in the Biden administration — affect their families too. Hatch teaches about the need to maintain both the “hypervigilance” of law enforcement and the humanitarian instinct to empathize with fellow agents as well as migrants. Many agents say they are especially affected by the plight of migrant children at the hands of smugglers. “One tries to give them support within the limits of what your work allows. I always have the biggest smile,” said a newly minted chaplain, Yaira Santiago, a former schoolteacher who runs a Border Patrol migrant processing center in Southern California. By relying on their faith, their commitment to help their colleagues, and their training, chaplains can make a difference. "Even in moments of uncertainty, your presence is often enough,” said Matt Kiniery, an agent in El Paso, Texas, for 15 years and a graduate of the latest chaplain academy. Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.The New York Mets are still in contact with free-agent slugger Pete Alonso regarding a return to the organization, according to team owner Steve Cohen. "We think he's a great Met and we're still engaged," Cohen said on Thursday, per Newsday's Tim Healey . "We hope he stays as a Met. ... He's entitled to go out, test his market and see what it is. Hopefully we'll get there." New York appears to be turning its attention towards re-signing the first baseman after handing superstar Juan Soto a massive 15-year, $765 million contract on Sunday. This article will be updated soon to provide more information and analysis. For more from Bleacher Report on this topic and from around the sports world, check out our B/R app , homepage and social feeds—including Twitter , Instagram , Facebook and TikTok .
Police operatives in Anambra have rescued two kidnapped persons and arrested four suspects in connection with the incident in Idemili South local government area of the state. The spokesman for the state police command, Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Awka. He said the rescue operation was carried out by police operatives attached to Oba Police Divisional Headquarters in Idemili at about noon on Wednesday. The spokesman said: “Police operatives attached to Oba Police Divisional Headquarters of the Idemili South local government area today arrested one notorious kidnapper and three other accomplices after a ransom of N200,000 was paid for the release of the victims in captivity. “The operatives also rescued two female victims between the ages of 15 – 19 years in Oba, Idemili South local government area of Anambra State. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect, one Ifechukwu Ibesimako, 19, male, who hails from Aboji village in Oba, and other three accomplices lured their victims through social media chats. “The suspects proposed friendship to them and then held them hostage until their relatives paid a certain amount to their gang before they were released. “The arrest of the suspect and his accomplices brought more revelations of their criminal activities in the area and a report of another female victim who had already paid ransom and was released months ago.” Opinions Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs. As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake. If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause. Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development. Donate Now