U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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	U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Total employed:	60,000
Year created:	2003
Official website:	https://www.cbp.gov

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is a division of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). CBP contributes to the mission of DHS by screening the people and goods entering the country and by patrolling the border.^[1]

History[edit]

According to its website, when U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was formed on March 1, 2003, it became the first comprehensive border security agency focused on securing national boundaries and ports of entry in U.S. history. CBP took over the responsibilities of several other agencies:^[2]

One department that Congress merged into CBP was the U.S. Customs Service. The U.S. Customs Service traced its functions to an act of the first Congress in 1789 that provided for the administration of customs tariffs and the collection of duties. Once the CBP was established, the U.S. Customs Service commissioner became the leader of CBP.^[3]
Immigration inspectors, first established by the Office of the Superintendent of Immigration in 1891, work for CBP.
When Congress passed the Plant Quarantine Act on August 20, 1912, it established agriculture inspectors to monitor incoming cargo. At CBP, agriculture inspectors examine shipments of fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs entering the United States to ensure that those shipments are free from pests, invasive species, and toxins.^[4]
Congress first authorized the hiring of Border Patrol personnel in May 1924; since 2003, those agents have worked for CBP.
In 2006, CBP formed the Office of Air and Marine to monitor the borders from the sky and the water.

Structure[edit]

Mission[edit]

According to its official website, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has the following mission:

“	Protect the American people, safeguard our borders, and enhance the nation’s economic prosperity.^[5]	”
—U.S. Customs and Border Protection^[6]

Its website states that CBP works to prevent terrorists and their weapons from entering the country and to facilitate legitimate international travel and trade. To meet this goal, the department enforces many U.S. laws and regulations and on a typical day, CBP screens more than 1 million visitors, processes more than 74,000 cargo containers, and arrests more than 1,000 individuals.^[6]

In a publication detailing the vision and strategy of CBP for 2020-2025, the agency listed three main goals:^[7]

"Protect the American people and facilitate trade and travel"
"Build a capable and resilient workforce ready for anything"
"Invest in technology and partnerships to confront emerging threats"

Statistics[edit]

CBP published a report detailing several operational facts from the 2023 fiscal year:^[8]

CBP Fiscal Year 2023 Statistical Highlights on a Typical Day
Total employees	63,843
Pedestrians and passengers processed	868,867
Duties, taxes, and other fees processed	$306 million
Ports of entry encounters conducted	6,068
Illegal narcotics seized	2,895 pounds
Border Patrol stations	129
Air and Marine Operations locations	75

Leadership[edit]

CBP is run by a commissioner and deputy commissioner.^[9]^[10]

Organizational Chart[edit]

Click here to view the CBP's organization chart.

Employment[edit]

The Best Places to Work in the Federal Government is a website that tracks workforce trends in federal agencies. According to its 2015 analysis, CBP ranked number 314 out of 320 federal sub-agencies. The metrics used in this ranking included leadership, pay, innovation, and support for diversity.^[11]

Responsibilities[edit]

Travel[edit]

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) screens foreign visitors and U.S. citizens who travel into the United States. It offers different services to facilitate cross-border travel for citizens, international visitors, and "trusted travelers" whom CBP deems low-risk. According to its website, CBP examines all people entering the United States except diplomats, using conversations with travelers and the condition of their documentation to determine how much scrutiny each individual requires.^[12]^[13]

Trade[edit]

CBP is responsible for "enforcing trade laws against counterfeit, unsafe, and fraudulently entered goods." By policing these goods, CBP aims "to enable legitimate trade, contribute to American economic prosperity, and protect against risks to public health and safety." The agency runs a "penalties program" that aims to ensure that the penalties it imposes effectively deter noncompliance with U.S. trade law. The program promotes uniformity among the 326 ports of entry.^[14]^[15]

The CBP focuses on Priority Trade Issues (PTIs), which are practices representing a high risk to the U.S. economy and population. For instance, the agency employs "antidumping" measures to address situations where imported goods are sold for a subsidized price in the United States. The CBP charges companies a duty in order to counteract the foreign subsidies it thinks might injure U.S. companies.^[16]^[17]

Border security[edit]

CBP manages several aspects of border security for the federal government. Its Office of Field Operations oversees ports of entry while the Office of Border Patrol polices the borders and the Office of Air and Marine secures the borders from the air and the sea. In addition, CBP employs agriculture specialists to make sure pests and diseases do not enter the United States. Following a memorandum from the secretary of homeland security in November 2014, CBP prioritizes "threats to national security, public safety, and border security" when deciding whether to remove person who entered the country illegally.^[18]^[19]

Border Patrol[edit]

Originally established to combat illegal immigration in 1924, the mission of the Border Patrol changed after September 11, 2001. While it still polices illegal immigration, the border patrol also works to prevent terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country. The Border Patrol monitors all 6,000 miles of the Mexico and Canada borders in addition to the 2,000 miles of coastal waters near Florida and Puerto Rico.^[20]

The number of border patrol agents grew from a handful in 1924 to over 21,000 by the end of the 2012 fiscal year. These agents maintain checkpoints along the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada in addition to traffic checkpoints on nearby major highways in order to detect unauthorized people or illicit cargo that may have evaded detection at the border. Once those entering the country illegally are apprehended by the border patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement determines how to proceed.^[20]

Regulations[edit]

In August 2016, the Federal Register website recorded over 2,000 notices, rules, and proposed rules from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) since 2003.^[21]

Significant regulations[edit]

According to Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993, a significant regulatory action is one that will likely result in a rule that may do one of the following:^[22]

“

Have an annual effect on the economy of $100 million or more or adversely affect in a material way the economy, a sector of the economy, productivity, competition, jobs, the environment, public health or safety, or State, local, or tribal governments or communities;
Create a serious inconsistency or otherwise interfere with an action taken or planned by another agency;
Materially alter the budgetary impact of entitlements, grants, user fees, or loan programs or the rights and obligations of recipients thereof; or
Raise novel legal or policy issues arising out of legal mandates, the President’s priorities, or the principles set forth in this Executive order.^[5]

”

In July 2016, CBP posted a notice of a proposed rulemaking that would expand the definition of an importer required to submit an Importer Security Filing (ISF) before bringing cargo to the U.S.^[23]

Noteworthy events[edit]

Corruption reporting (2016)[edit]

The Texas Tribune, a nonpartisan online news website, published a report in July 2016 describing a series of corruption cases against 140 U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents filed since 2004.^[24] In response to incidents like those reported by The Texas Tribune, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security convened the CBP Integrity Advisory Panel to make recommendations based on best practices regarding the use of force, corruption, transparency, and stakeholder outreach. The panel issued its final report, including recommendations such as expanding programs focused on officer integrity, on March 15, 2016.^[25]

External links[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

[1] Department of Homeland Security, "Mission," accessed June 9, 2016

[years-2] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "CBP Through the Years," accessed June 7, 2016

[3] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "1789: First Congress Provides for Customs Administration," accessed June 9, 2016

[4] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Protecting Agriculture," accessed August 9, 2016

[quotedisclaimer-5] 5.0 ^5.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.

[about-6] 6.0 ^6.1 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "About CBP," accessed February 26, 2024

[7] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Strategy 2020-2025," accessed February 26, 2024

[FY2023-8] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Snapshot A Summary of CBP Facts and Figures," accessed February 26, 2024

[commissioner-9] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Commissioner R. Gil Kerlikowski," accessed June 8, 2016

[10] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Deputy Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan," accessed June 8, 2016

[best-11] The Best Places to work in the Federal Government, "Agency Report: Customs and Border Protection (CBP)," accessed June 9, 2016

[12] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Travel," accessed June 8, 2016

[authority-13] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "CBP Search Authority," accessed August 10, 2016

[14] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Trade," accessed June 8, 2016

[15] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Penalties Program," accessed August 10, 2016

[16] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Priority Trade Issues," accessed August 10, 2016

[17] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Priority Trade Issue: Antidumping and Countervailing Duties," accessed August 10, 2016

[18] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Border Security," accessed June 9, 2016

[19] U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Immigration Action," accessed June 10, 2016

[along-20] 20.0 ^20.1 U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Along U.S. Borders," accessed June 9, 2016

[21] Federal Register, "Search Documents, U.S. Customs and Border Protection," accessed August 10, 2016

[22] The White House, "Presidential Documents, Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993," accessed August 10, 2016

[23] Federal Register, "Definition of Importer Security Filing Importer," July 7, 2016

[24] The Texas Tribune, "Cracks in the Wall: When Border Watchdogs Turn Criminal," July 7, 2016

[25] U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "Final Report of the CBP Integrity Advisory Panel," March 15, 2016

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