The History of American Customs and Border Protection

In order to meet the urgent demand for income after the American War of Independence,1On July 4th, 789, President George Washington signed it, and the US Congress passed the tariff law, authorizing the taxation of imported goods. Four weeks later, on July 3 1, the fifth congressional act established the United States Customs Service.

In the past 125 years, the service of US Customs has been the main source of funds for the whole government, paying for the country's early growth and infrastructure. The purchased territories include Louisiana, Florida, Alaska and Oregon; Allocate funds for the construction of national highways and cross-line railways; Many American lighthouses; Army and naval academies, and Washington, D.C.

Immigration and Naturalization Bureau

Shortly after the American Civil War, some countries began to pass their own immigration laws, prompting the US Supreme Court to make a ruling. In 1875, immigration management is the responsibility of the federal government. 189 1 Immigration Act established the Office of Immigration Supervision in the Treasury Department of the US Department of Commerce. The office is responsible for approving, rejecting and processing all requests for immigration, and implementing the national immigration policy. Therefore, they are called "immigration inspectors" and are stationed at the main entry ports in the United States to collect manifests of passengers arriving in the United States. A poll tax of 50 cents is levied on each immigrant.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Congress's main interest in immigration affairs was to protect American workers and wages, which had become the primary concern of the Federation. This makes the income/business tax problem of more immigrants. 1903, Congress transferred the Immigration Department to the newly established Ministry of Commerce and Labor.

After World War I, facing the immigration tide mainly from Europe, Congress passed a law to limit the number of new immigrants to 192 1 and 1924. According to the figures of the previous US census, each ethnic group was allocated a quota according to its representativeness. The State Council issues a limited number of visas every year; Only those immigrants who have obtained valid visas are allowed to enter this country.

1940, President Roosevelt proposed that the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization be transferred from the Ministry of Labor to the Ministry of Justice.

Reorganization (2003-present)

On March 1 2003, C.B.P officially became an agency of the US Department of Homeland Security, merging employees of the US Department of Agriculture, the US Immigration and Naturalization Service (especially immigration inspectors and the US Border Patrol) and the US Customs Service. C.B.P is headed by director Ralph Basham.

On June 30th, 2006, W. Ralph Basham was nominated by President George W. Bush as the next Director of Customs and Border Protection. Basham has more than 28 years of experience in law enforcement management. His experience includes being the head of the Secret Service and the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center. He also served as the office director of the Transportation Security Administration.

C.B.P' s personnel are equipped with Glock17 (9mm) and HK P2000 (.40) pistols, telescopic batons and turpentine pepper spray. Received training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center and implemented more than 450 laws. The CBI has full authority to arrest. The criminal case taken over by CBP was investigated by its sister agency, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Because C.B.P personnel perform the duties of law enforcement officers, according to the 2008 federal budget, they can get retirement benefits paid by law enforcement departments. But people outside the United States have no power to arrest or search, are not law enforcement officers and have no weapons.