The Senate on December 7 confirmed Biden nominee Chris Magnus to head up U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. On April 12, President Biden nominated Tucson, Arizona, police chief Chris Magnus to serve as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Chris Magnus served for 10 years as police chief for Richmond, California before becoming the Tuscon police chief, and prior to that served as police chief in Fargo, North Dakota. Magnus wrote a New York Times opinion piece criticizing the Trump administration’s campaign against “sanctuary cities” in 2017.
Magnus’ confirmation had been delayed due to Senate disagreement over Biden immigration policies.
• A customs officer is the 1st stop for many foreigners who arrive in the United States via airplane, boat or drive across a land border.
• Individuals crossing a land border without proper documentation may be stopped and apprehended by a CBP officer and handed over to ICE.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection is a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for enforcing customs, immigration and agricultural laws and regulations at U.S. ports of entry and preclearance locations worldwide. They are responsible for preventing the illegal trafficking of people, narcotics and contraband into the United States. CBP is the largest uniformed law enforcement agency in the country, with over 60,000 employees protecting 325 U.S. ports of entry.
CBP and Immigration
CBP is charged with securing the border, and to “control and guard the boundaries and borders of the United States against the illegal entry of aliens.” They protect the United States by air, land and sea against illegal entry, illicit activity or other threats and promote national and economic security. According to the CBP website,
• The CBP Immigration Inspection Program determines the eligibility of individuals to enter the U.S. at ports of entry.
• A CBP officer may question, under oath, any person coming into the United States to determine his or her admissibility.
• An inspector has authority to search without warrant the person and effects of any person seeking admission, when there is reason to believe that grounds of exclusion exist which would be disclosed by such search.
Customs and Border Protection operates under the assumption that “an applicant for admission is presumed to be an alien until he or she shows evidence of citizenship; an alien is presumed to be an immigrant until he or she proves that he or she fits into one of the nonimmigrant classifications.”
The experienced immigration attorneys at Godoy Law Office in Chicago and Oak Brook Illinois offer assistance in family-based immigration matters to a range of people, including spouses, same-sex couples, fiancés, parents and children. We can also advise immigrants looking to secure status as permanent residents through the process of applying for a green card or citizenship. If you need help with an immigration issue, please contact our office or call us at 630-912-0322.
