The BEST Facilitation Act would add a specialized screening position to CBP to assess cargo for further inspection
WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressmen Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ-06) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX-34) introduced new bipartisan, bicameral legislation today aimed at expediting screenings at ports of entry.
The Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act creates a new “image technician” position within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to assess scans of cargo and determine whether further inspection is necessary. It also creates a “supervisory image technician” position to review images that are more difficult to assess. This position will also serve as a liaison between image technicians and the National Targeting Center. Full text of the bill is available here.
“The addition of image technicians at our ports of entry will allow CBP officers to review what’s coming through in a more thorough manner, thwarting the flow of drugs, weapons, and human smuggling that we are currently seeing,” said Rep. Ciscomani. “Law enforcement has previously called for this type of support and, as morale plummets, I am proud to lead on this bipartisan, bicameral effort to support CBP and law enforcement.”
“Ensuring U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has the necessary resources to address personnel shortages and strengthen our border security is a top priority of mine,” said Rep. Gonzalez. “This bipartisan bill provides additional personnel to scan cargo at our ports of entry, helping prevent dangerous substances like fentanyl from entering our communities, while also decreasing wait times and keeping our borders secure.”
Senators James Lankford (R-OK) and Mark Kelly (D-AZ) introduced companion legislation in the Senate.
“Successfully inspecting cargo at our ports of entry helps stop dangerous drugs like fentanyl from coming into the US,” said Sen. Lankford. “Border law enforcement have asked for support to analyze cargo images in real time, so they can focus on the person-to-person contact that enables them to catch criminals. Adding these positions makes sure cargo can be thoroughly inspected for illegal drugs, guns, and human smuggling at our border. This is a nonpartisan, straight-forward solution to support our hard-working border law enforcement.”
“Customs and Border Protection need the necessary resources to do the difficult job of keeping illegal drugs, like fentanyl, and other dangerous substances from entering our country,” said Sen. Kelly. “As we continue the work to upgrade and expand our ports of entry, the BEST Facilitation Act will help CBP more quickly reach the goal of 100% scanning while increasing trade, decreasing wait times, and enhancing the ability to stop illegal drugs and cargo. As we know in Arizona, ports are a major economic benefit to our communities, and this bill provides for additional port personnel to ensure our ports are secure and efficient.”
The bill is also supported by the National Sheriffs’ Association; National Association of Counties (NACo); U.S. Chamber of Commerce; U.S. Travel Association; National Customs Brokers and Freight Forwarders Association; Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority; Santa Cruz County Supervisor Bruce Bracker; and City of Yuma Mayor Douglas Nicholls.
“The Port Authority has been a stalwart advocate for the need to ensure that our ports of entry are the best that they can be,” said Jaime Chamberlain, Chairman of the Greater Nogales Santa Cruz County Port Authority, in a letter of support for the bill. “To that end, it is our hope that the creation of the Image Technician, along with the Supervisory Image Technician, will bring dedicated personnel that are specifically trained for these functions and permit Customs and Border Protection to take those officers that currently perform those monitoring functions out to the inspection booths and docks to enforce all applicable laws. We believe this to be a more efficient use of current staffing.”
“By endorsing the BEST Facilitation Act of 2023, we ensure that our Customs and Border Protection officers are empowered to focus on their core mission,” said Collins County (TX) Sheriff Jim Skinner, Chair of the National Sheriffs’ Association. “Proper staffing is the bedrock of effective law enforcement. The National Sheriffs’ Association applauds Representative Ciscomani’s efforts to provide law enforcement the resources they rightfully deserve.”
“The Chamber commends Representatives Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ) and Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX) for leading the introduction of the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act of 2023 in the U.S. House of Representatives,” said Jon Baselice, the Vice President of Immigration Policy at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection desperately needs more resources to prevent the trafficking of people, illegal drugs like fentanyl, and other dangerous products and substances into our country. The BEST Facilitation Act not only will enhance the federal government’s inspection capabilities and help uncover more criminal activity at our ports, but also will markedly improve the processing efficiency at our ports of entry because law enforcement agents will be able to make more-informed inspection decisions in real time. We urge other members of Congress to cosponsor this legislation.”
“Counties are on the front lines of strengthening the health and safety of our communities,” said Matthew Chase, Executive Director of the National Association of Counties (NACo). “The bipartisan, bicameral BEST Facilitation Act would provide relief for local law enforcement, improving ports of entry by adding additional personnel to scan cargo for illicit materials. We thank Congressmen Lankford, Kelly, Ciscomani and Gonzalez for their leadership on this important issue and urge its swift passage.”
