Happy 97th Birthday to the United States Border Patrol

In recognition of the U.S. Border Patrol celebrating 97 years of professionalism, honor, integrity, and respect for human life, here are 10 events that have affected nearly every aspect of its operations from its earliest days to now.

-1924: Congress passed the Labor Appropriation Act of 1924, officially establishing the U.S. Border Patrol for the purpose of securing the borders between inspection stations.

-1925: U.S. Border Patrol duties were expanded to patrol the seacoast.

-1928: U.S. Border Patrol agents have uniforms for the first time.

-1934 December: The first Border Patrol Academy opened as a training school at Camp Chigas, El Paso. Thirty-four trainees attended classes in marksmanship and horsemanship.

-1935: U.S. Border Patrol began using motorized vehicles with radios.

-1940: The Immigration Service was moved from the Department of Labor to the Department of Justice.

-1952: U.S. Border Patrol agents were first permitted to board and search a conveyance for illegal immigrants anywhere in the United States. For the first time, illegal entrants traveling within the country were subject to arrest.

-1956: The U.S. Border Patrol Canine Program begins with the purchase of surplus sentry dogs from the U.S. military.

-1961: On August 10, President John F. Kennedy assigns U.S. Border Patrol agents to accompany domestic flights to prevent aircraft hijacking.

-2003: On March 1, the Department of Homeland Security was established, and the U.S. Border Patrol became part of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, a component of DHS.