The US Customs and Border Protection was formed in 2003 as part of the Department of Homeland Security’s response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Its responsibilities include enforcing immigration laws, preventing terrorist attacks, and controlling drug trafficking. The department has undergone significant changes since its creation, including increased border patrol officers and stricter travel regulations. Its mission has shifted from enforcing import and export tariffs to prioritizing national security.
The US Customs and Border Protection, also known as CBP, is a federal office of the Department of Homeland Security, formed in 2003 as an initiative to strengthen national defense in response to the US terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. Various customs and patrol rallies Borders have existed in the United States since 1789, when the Fifth Act of Congress effectively created what would become known as the United States Customs Service. Today, the responsibilities of US Customs and Border Protection include enforcement of immigration laws, prevention of terrorist attacks, and drug trafficking control.
On September 11, 2001, the US Customs House, located at Six World Trade Center, was destroyed after two planes crashed into the Twin Towers. The event led to both a physical and ideological restructuring of the US Customs Service; in the following months and years it would be revised as part of the US government’s intensified efforts to prevent further terrorist attacks. This was to be done by facilitating legitimate travel, increasing the number of agents patrolling the borders, and communicating with each other with the various government intelligence agencies.
On November 25, 2002, President George W. Bush created the Department of Homeland Security. Shortly thereafter, on March 1, 2003, the US Customs Service was brought into the Department of Homeland Security as US Customs and Border Protection. Almost immediately, significant changes were made to the functioning of the customs service. More Border Patrol officers were dispatched to the northern and southern borders. The state of Arizona, in particular, has received the most attention for monitoring the complicated immigration relationship with neighboring Mexico.
The average American citizen has felt the greatest impact at airports, where US Customs and Border Protection have imposed stringent new travel regulations. Many items have been banned from being carried on planes, such as razors and liquids purchased outside the airport. The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, passed in 2005, went into effect in 2008. The act requires concrete proof of US citizenship, such as a passport or driver’s license, for travelers, even US citizens, to enter the country .
Before becoming the US Customs and Border Protection, the US Customs Service handled many of the same border responsibilities for centuries. He assisted in efforts to prevent drug trafficking across borders and helped facilitate legitimate air and sea travel. When Customs Services began in the United States in 1789, the mission was more focused on ensuring import and export tariffs were enforced. In other words, the government wanted to make sure it could tax every good that crossed the border. Today, in the ongoing effort to keep the country safe, the number one priority for US Customs and Border Protection has become security.
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