Thread: 60,000 Border Patrol and Customs Officers to be Furloughed

Furloughs bite for customs workers

By Mike M. Ahlers, CNN
updated 9:05 PM EST, Thu March 7, 2013


Government-wide spending cuts will result in furloughs for 60,000 Customs and Border Protection workers.

(CNN) -- The U.S. government on Thursday notified 60,000 federal workers responsible for securing borders and facilitating trade that they will face furloughs due to government-wide spending cuts.
Customs and Border Protection said it expects furloughs and other austerity will cause delays at ports of entry, including international arrivals at airports, and reduce the number of border patrol officers on duty at any one time.
David Aguilar, the agency's deputy commissioner, said it must cut about $754 million by September 30, the end of the fiscal year.
It aims to reach that goal through agency-wide furloughs, a hiring freeze, and reducing or eliminating overtime, compensatory time, travel and training.


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Other agencies are taking similar action due to spending cuts that took effect last week across the government, called sequestration.
Customs spokeswoman Jenny Burke said in a statement that the agency "continues to evaluate further impacts of sequestration" on its operations.
"Even with these cuts though, individuals apprehended illegally crossing the southwest border will still be processed as usual," she said.
The agency said furloughs will begin in mid-April.
Reductions in Border Patrol overtime will begin April 7 and furloughs will start around the middle of that month.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said on Monday that she expects customs wait times to increase to 150 to 200 percent of normal.
"I don't mean to scare, I mean to inform. If you're traveling, get to the airport earlier than you otherwise would. There's only so much we can do with personnel," Napolitano said.
The union representing some 24,000 agency employees predicted the cuts will "undercut" national security and lead to a loss of revenue.
Customs collects more money for the federal government than any agency other than the Internal Revenue Service, said the National Treasury Employees Union.
"There is no escaping the reality that sequestration is having serious effects on the traveling public and on vital commerce," said Colleen M. Kelley, the union's president.
　
http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/07/politics/customs-furloughs/?google_editors_picks=true

With overtime cut and each agent getting one or 2 extra days off each month there will be fewer agents in the field and more drugs and more illegal aliens getting through.

Was added to the Homepage earlier:
http://www.alipac.us/content/60-000-...rloughed-1474/

Posted: Mar 10, 2013 10:22 PM PDT Updated: Mar 10, 2013 10:27 PM PDT
By Allyson Blair
kpho.com

PHOENIX (CBS5) -

Soon 60,000 Customs and Border Protection agents could be told to stay home. Furlough notices went out late last week to agents in Arizona and across the country.

Art Del Cueto is the president of the Tucson Custom and Border Protection Union. He represents 3,500 members.

"There is a lot of confusion right now with the agents not knowing what's going to happen," said Del Cueto.

Customs and Border Patrol agents are in Washington's crosshairs, the target of sequestration budget cuts. If politicians don't get their act together by April 21, Del Cueto said most agents will see their income cut by 40 percent.

Part of that comes from having to take up to 14 unpaid days off work. But the biggest hit to agents and border security comes from a cut to overtime.

"There are going to be gaps in the amount of agents that are actually patrolling," said Del Cueto.

Former DEA Special Agent in Charge Phil Jordan said if this should go into effect there's more to worry about than undocumented immigrants coming across the border to look for work.

"The politicians should focus on the radical Muslims as well as the increase in methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine. The cartels will wait until that time when the vigilance is not that high and therefore they can stockpile drugs on the other side and start moving them across," said Jordan.

For now there are still many what-ifs, and that uncertainty is already taking its toll.

"The people who still wear the uniform and the people in charge in Washington need to realize they cannot use our families and our agents as political pawns," said Del Cueto.

CBP furlough notices could leave border wide open - CBS 5 - KPHO