Nonprofit Boosts Morale Among Border Patrol Agents Facing Crisis at Southern Border

Diane and Tom Langan offer lunch to border patrol officers. Courtesy of Morale Boosters

After thousands in migrant caravans began arriving at the U.S. border with Mexico in 2018, one Anaheim Hills, California, couple decided to lend their support to Border Patrol agents dealing with the influx who they say were “unfairly maligned” amid political tensions.

Known as the “Morale Boosters,” the couple created a nonprofit to aid the agents through “simple acts of kindness,” since co-founder Diane Langan said many have confided in her feelings of increased depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts during the growing crisis at the border.

“[Border Patrol agents] need to know that citizens still support them, especially after being so unfairly maligned in the media in recent years,” Langan told The Epoch Times.

Diane Langan hugs a border patrol agent. Courtesy of Morale Boosters

Though Langan and her husband Tom live in Orange County, their Montana-based nonprofit goes to Border Patrol posts along the southern border multiple times a year to provide free lunches, deliver handwritten cards of encouragement from citizens across the country, conduct marriage counseling programs, and much more to “boost the morale” of these public servants.

“I can’t tell you how much the littlest thing we do means to [border patrol agents]. It really does make a huge difference to their lives,” Langan said.

According to Langan, the officers she’s helped and spoken to refuse to speak on the record about their experiences because of concern about retaliation in their communities.

However, Langan said she has been told by many officers at the border that Morale Boosters has had a significant effect at their outposts.

“I’ve had officers tell me that just one of our little lunches we provided reminded them how much people still care for them and how much it really boosted their morale that week,” she said.

Stress and Anxiety

Langan said many Border Patrol officers say they feel they must keep their profession a secret from their communities and even some friends for fear that they will be targeted and discriminated against.

“I’ve had officers tell me they’ve even lost friends at church when they found out what [officers] do for a living. ... It’s alienating and they don’t always know who they can trust,” she said.

A rise in anxiety and depression among officers has resulted in at least 14 suicides this year alone, according to members of Congress. Between 2007 and November 2022, a total of 149 agents located at the U.S. southern border took their lives.

Two men talk next to a border patrol vehicle. Courtesy of Morale Boosters

Langan said many officers change their clothes after work because of negative treatment within their communities, such as having their food tampered with at fast-food restaurants. She said many refuse to even have food delivered to their posts during the workday, due to increased public criticism surrounding border issues.

She also said some officers have even coached their children on how to safely answer peers when asked what their parent does for work, since they say the outcome of others discovering the truth may potentially pose a threat, including from cartels.

Former Border Patrol officer Howard Craig, who retired from his post in 2019 after nearly 25 years of service, echoed similar concerns regarding increasing rates of suicide and depression among agents.

“The worst stressors come from the lack of support and the political pressures, the politicization of your job,” he said in a recent interview with The Epoch Times. “That, unfortunately, is destroying my agency and law enforcement in general across the country. It’s a mess. Morale has never been worse.”

Gifts for Officers

Langan said such stressors have inspired her nonprofit to do more to address officers’ struggles, including creating special “peacemaker Bibles” small enough to fit in a pocket or gear bag, with New Testament passages specific to law enforcement highlighted.

The nonprofit also presents customized thank-you banners signed by citizens from across the country expressing gratitude to border officers for their service to hang at their outposts.

Gifts for Border Patrol officers. Courtesy of Morale Boosters

For the hotter months, Morale Boosters have even purchased commercial snow cone machines and syrups to help overheated officers cool down while on the go.

“You don’t know what a difference a simple snow cone can make for an officer working in over 100-degree weather for hours ... who hasn’t had a break most of the day,” Langan said.

Other gifts include “road bags” small enough for officers to carry into the field stuffed with treats for their shift, along with a thank you card.

In an effort to address mental health challenges faced by officers, Morale Boosters creates video-recorded messages on their website customized for law enforcement. Filmed by pastors, counselors, and other speakers, each video was customized following a survey the nonprofit conducted within Border Patrol to address issues faced by the agents.

Those wishing to support Border Patrol and law enforcement officers facing crisis can donate to Morale Boosters on their website.

Diane and Tom Langan at the southern U.S. border. Courtesy of Morale Boosters