Congressman Collin C. Peterson voted for an emergency spending package which included a provision that seeks to restore a strong U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presence along the northern border. The Senate version contains the same conditions.
The provision requires CBP to return to northern border staffing levels that are no less than 3,600 Officers, the same number prescribed in a June 2018 Department of Homeland Security report on Northern Border Strategy. This follows the recent diversion of nearly 730 CBP Officers which were reassigned from northern land ports of entry to the southern border.
“Restoring hours at these ports is critical to commerce, emergency medical services, and to everyone who lives and works in Roseau, Lancaster and Northern Minnesota.” said Peterson “CBP so far has been tone deaf when it comes to understanding the importance of the northern border and our rural communities and I will continue to fight to get this done.”
Diverting resources is causing staff shortages along the northern border and reducing service hours for crucial land ports of entry. Local communities like Roseau and Lancaster, MN are facing economic hardships, especially when hospital and manufacturing staff face difficulties crossing the Canadian border.
Congressman Peterson has hosted several meetings in Minnesota and Washington between local businesses, municipal officials, federal lawmakers, and senior CBP Officers to advocate for a return to normal operating hours at the Lancaster and Roseau land ports of entry. Requiring CBP to maintain a certain minimum of CBP Officers at the northern border is one step towards addressing problems associated with early port closures.
Congressman Peterson, along with the Northern Border Caucus, also wrote several letters to DHS and DHS appropriators expressing concern over officer diversions to the southern border and asking for additional funding to meet CBP’s officer hiring shortage.
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