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border patrol

border patrol

41 3.8
A group of officers who watch and protect a country's border to stop illegal crossings
  • noun
  • /ˈbɔrdər pəˈtroʊl/
  • Formal
translation icon : patrulla fronteriza
  • Today's guest is Border Patrol Chief Chris Clem.
  • border patrol agents
  • border patrol officers
  • customs and border patrol

For the last decade, once you're freed from Border Patrol or ICE custody, the alien wins.

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Examples

  • We are occupied by Border Patrol both physically and virtually.

  • We have to send ICE out and Border Patrol out to find them.

  • Many of the cases involve border patrol agents.

    Academic text (2018)
  • You can't just be a border patrol agent.

  • The border patrol volunteered to keep an eye on the site until spring.

    Academic text (2002)
  • In one common fact pattern, a border patrol agent spots a car that the agent suspects is carrying undocumented immigrants.

    Academic text (2018)
  • The border patrol works tirelessly to ensure national security along the country's borders.

  • Agents from the border patrol frequently monitor areas to prevent unauthorized crossings.

  • During the summer, the border patrol increased patrols to deter illegal immigration.

Synonyms

US Border Patrol
vsborder patrol
  • Formal
1 3.8

A United States government agency that finds and stops people entering the country without permission

is the general term for agencies that secure national boundaries worldwide
United States Border Patrol
vsborder patrol
1 3.9

A federal agency that patrols United States borders to stop people entering the country illegally

is the general term for similar agencies in any country

How Active

military force
156 3.2
border patrol
  • Formal
41 3.8

Surface Forms

border patrol singular

Morphology

border + patrol

The meaning 'a unit that monitors a country's borders' is directly and transparently derived from combining 'border' (boundary area) with 'patrol' (a unit that watches or inspects an area). This straightforward noun-noun composition follows common morphological patterns and is cross-linguistically familiar, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

The noun border patrol comes from the simple image of officers who patrol the border, walking or driving along a country's edge to watch for people or goods trying to cross. That's why it means 'a group that watches and protects a country's borders'.