*EPF407 08/26/2004
Text: U.S. to Present Friendlier Face at Border, Customs Agency Says
(Initiative gives border inspectors more discretion to admit travelers) (1270)

A new U.S. initiative aims to make Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers more courteous and gives them more discretion to admit visitors who in the past have committed minor violations of U.S. immigration law, the head of the CBP agency says.

The initiative is designed to ensure the "highest degree of professionalism and courtesy" at U.S. ports of entry, Commissioner Robert Bonner said in an August 26 news release.

Briefing reporters on the same day, he said his agency has established a code of conduct for CBP officers and has decided to display at all ports of entry the agency's "Pledge to Travelers," which includes commitments to treat travelers with courtesy, dignity, and respect, and to accept and respond to travelers' comments.

In addition, Bonner said CBP will place representatives at airports receiving international flights to help resolve admission problems.

Bonner said the initiative is an effort to impose high professional standards on the CBP workforce, which only recently has been fully integrated into the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). But he added that several recent instances of CBP officers' rude behavior prompted him to act.

CBP is a merger of U.S. customs, immigration and agriculture inspectors as well as border patrol agents into DHS.

Bonner said that, as part of the initiative, CBP will give its officers more discretion to admit to the United States visitors who have committed a technical or inadvertent immigration violation, but pose no terrorist threat.

He said that after the DHS had been created CBP officers detained and, in some instances, deported foreign travelers who previously overstayed their visas or committed other minor immigration infractions.

The CBP commissioner emphasized, however, that the agency's officials must stay within the law when exercising their discretion, and that they will have more discretion to deny entry to those deemed to pose a terrorist or criminal risk or to be economic migrants.

"Every other day we deny entry to someone who poses a terrorist risk," he said.

Bonner said he believes that CBP officers can carry out their primary mission of preventing terrorist and terrorist weapons from entering the country while being professional and courteous toward legal travelers.

On another issue, Bonner expressed doubts about a survey that indicates a high level of employee dissatisfaction and low morale at CBP. The survey conducted on behalf of trade unions representing border patrol agents and other CBP officers found that their members believe they are not getting the proper tools, training or support to stop terrorists from entering the United States and that morale at the agency "plummeted precipitously."

Bonner said he is still reading the survey's results but added he believes it may be biased and not representative of the entire CBP workforce. He said he personally visits CBP offices around the country and does not get a sense that employee morale is low. He said the lowest attrition rates among Border Patrol agents in years would indicate the opposite.

Following is the text of the news release:

(begin text)

U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Press Release
August 26, 2004

U.S. Customs And Border Protection Vows A Total Commitment To Professionalism

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Robert C. Bonner today announced an initiative to ensure that the agency and its personnel practice the highest of standards in professionalism.

The CBP Professionalism Initiative calls for a total commitment to exemplary conduct in providing services to travelers, as well as the appropriate use of discretion in dealing with technical immigration violations. The initiative will also ensure that CBP is serving the American public with vigilance and integrity, while providing courteous and helpful treatment to visitors, immigrants, and travelers.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the guardian of this country's borders, but it is also the face of our nation and the U.S. government to all who enter our country," said Commissioner Bonner. "Today, we are implementing standards and policies to ensure the highest degree of professionalism and courtesy at our nation's ports of entry and we are allowing CBP Officers the discretion necessary to resolve technical infractions rapidly, while carrying out their primary mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country."

A major part of the Homeland Security reorganization, CBP is a merger of all U.S. Customs, Immigration, and Agriculture inspectors at our nation's 317 ports of entry, along with the entire Border Patrol, which protects our nation's borders between the ports of entry. CBP was created to protect our nation's borders from the threat of terrorism, while continuing the important traditional work of the legacy agencies. To transform the separate inspectional workforces into one, CBP established "One Face at the Border," a unified occupation with the resources, skills and best practices of the separate workforces. CBP adopted a single uniform for its inspectional workforce, conducted anti-terrorism training and cross-training for legacy Customs and Immigration inspectors, and selected a single overtime compensation system. On July 25, 2004, all legacy Customs and Immigration inspectors were converted to a new position: that of "CBP Officer." These historic changes together with a continuous commitment to professionalism will make CBP the most professional law enforcement organization in the nation.

"I expect professionalism and courtesy to be the hallmark of every CBP Officer. It is my goal that all visitors and traveling U.S. citizens see the CBP uniform as a symbol of our Nation's great strength, ideals, and liberty," said Commissioner Bonner.

The principles of professionalism and discretion will be utilized throughout every aspect of the CBP workforce. As part of this initiative, CBP's "Pledge to Travelers" will be prominently displayed at airports, seaports, and land border ports of entry. It states, "We pledge to cordially greet and welcome you to the United States. We pledge to treat you with courtesy, dignity, and respect. We pledge to explain the CBP process to you. We pledge to have a supervisor listen to your comments. We pledge to accept and respond to your comments in written, verbal, or electronic form. We pledge to provide reasonable assistance due to delay or disability."

An important part of professionalism is the appropriate exercise of discretion in determining whether to refuse or permit entry of people attempting to enter the United States. Since the overwhelming majority of travelers pose absolutely no threat to our national security, CBP will use discretion to permit entry, whenever the law allows, for individuals that have committed a technical or inadvertent immigration violation, but who otherwise pose no threat whatsoever. Potential terrorists, those that may be engaged in criminal activity, and those who may add to the illegal population of the United States will be refused entry.

The CBP Professionalism Initiative encompasses training, employee musters, guidance on exercising discretion, the "Pledge to Travelers" campaign, the overhaul of the complaint and compliment processing unit, and the development of metrics to measure agency progress.

"We have a unique opportunity to capitalize on this historic reorganization, and in doing so, develop the culture of professionalism for years to come. We are raising the bar. We are a world class law enforcement organization and even a single instance of rude or discourteous behavior is one too many," Commissioner Bonner added. "At U.S. Customs and Border Protection, as 'One Face at the Border,' we are building a tradition of excellence."

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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