The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act provides additional career mobility
Staff Reports | Digital Free Press
Arizona Senators Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema — along with Senators John Hoeven (R-ND), and James Lankford (R-OK) — introduced the bipartisan Shadow Wolves Improvement Act, which seeks legislation that provides U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement with the authority to convert Shadow Wolves from the excepted to the competitive service.
The proposed legislation seeks to provide additional career mobility opportunities to Shadow Wolves, making it easier to recruit and retain Shadow Wolves agents and improving border security, according to a press release.
Shadow Wolves are members of the Tohono O’odham Nation who patrol the 76-mile stretch of land that the Tohono O’odham Nation shares with Mexico. They are known for their ability to track drug smugglers as they attempt to smuggle illegal commodities across Tribal land, thanks to their unique geographical and cultural knowledge.
They also help improve the relationship between the Department of Homeland Security and Tribal communities.
In 2022, Kelly and Sinema successfully introduced and passed the Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act — legislation classifying the Shadow Wolves unit as special agents allowed to patrol, investigate, interdict, and secure the border — with broad bipartisan support.
Previous to this, Shadow Wolves were classified as tactical officers under ICE Homeland Security Investigation, making them unable to access the same career opportunities, pay, and job mobility afforded to HSI special agents.
The Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act addressed this gap by reclassifying the Shadow Wolves as special agents; however, Shadow Wolves still lack the same career opportunities as other HSI special agents because of how they were originally hired.
Sens. Kelly and Sinema’s new legislation seeks to solve this by providing ICE with the authority to convert Shadow Wolves from the excepted to the competitive service upon completion of three years of satisfactory service, affording them career mobility and compensation parity with other HSI special agents.
The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act provides additional career mobility
This update will enhance career opportunities for Shadow Wolves agents, strengthen recruitment efforts, and improve border security.
“The Shadow Wolves are a critical asset to effectively fight against human and drug smugglers at our southern border,” Sen. Kelly said in a prepared statement. “The Shadow Wolves Improvement Act builds on the support provided to the Shadow Wolves and strengthens their specialized tactical units, ensuring these Native American officers have the best training and career mobility as they work to keep Arizonans safe.”
Sen. Sinema called the Shadow Wolves a ‘critical partner’ in the fight against human trafficking.
“Tohono O’odham Nation’s Shadow Wolves are critical partners combating drug smuggling, human trafficking, and other illicit activity on our border,” she said. “Our bill ensures career mobility and fair compensation for Shadow Wolves Agents so they can continue keeping the Tohono O’odham Nation and Arizona safe and secure.”
