Statement of the Hon. Bob Filner, a Representative in Congress from the State of California

Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Trade
of the House Committee on Ways and Means

Hearing on Trade Agency Budget Authorizations and Other Customs Issues

July 17, 2001

Good afternoon, thank you for recognizing me, Mr. Chairman, and providing me the opportunity to speak. I am here to offer a very unique perspective on trade--as the Congressman whose district includes two of the busiest border crossings in the world, the San Ysidro and Otay Mesa crossings between San Diego and Tijuana, I can tell you about policies that impede trade.

Having border crossings that are adequately staffed is a priority for those of us in the San Diego region. When the Customs inspections lanes are not open as they should be, waiting times increase to unacceptable levels--45 minutes or even hours are not unheard of, affecting businesses throughout San Diego County. Long delays at the border impedes what should be a normal, legal flow of goods, services and workers between the United States and Mexico.

The border crossings simply are not adequately staffed--many of the 16 lanes at Otay Mesa that Congress voted to build, and the 20+ lanes at San Ysidro, are routinely unstaffed, even at the times of greatest traffic.

The problems of staffing are largely a function at the United States’ difficulty attracting and retaining Customs and Immigration and Naturalization Service inspectors. These inspectors face incredible day-to-day rigors on their jobs. They risk encountering life-threatening interactions with smugglers intent to push their way in to the U.S. at all costs. There have been shoot outs at the border inspection stations, yet these valiant inspectors are not recognized with law enforcement status that other federal law enforcement officers enjoy. I continually hear stories in San Diego County of inspectors who the U.S. trains at our finest federal law enforcement academies leaving for other agencies in the area that do adequately recognize them for the law enforcement officers they are.

I know that Customs Inspector Roberto LaBrada, who was injured during a shoot out with a drug smuggler a few years ago at the Calexico border crossing finds this sad truth to be incredibly ironic--had he or his partner, Inspector Nicolas Lira, been killed during that shoot out, their names would have been inscribed on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial a few blocks from the U.S. Capitol. But in life, they would have no such benefits nor recognition.

How can such a sad and ironic truth NOT affect recruitment and retention? There are 619 Customs inspectors at our ports, down from a peak of 701 in 1998. The Immigration and Naturalization Service also has had difficulty maintaining its peak number of inspectors from 1998 and mentions recruitment and retention of their inspectors as a key reason.

Customs cannot fill these positions in many cases because there is little incentive to tackle such dangerous jobs. There are 75 Customs officers whose names are on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial--each inspector knows that he or she could be next. It is demoralizing for them to put their lives on the line without receiving appropriate recognition for the dangers of the job.

Thus far, Congress has said "no" to the fallen officers, and the hardworking Customs inspectors who toil daily in long, polluted lines of cars--never knowing which car may contain the next desperate smuggler. Customs inspectors carry guns, make arrests and seize more illegal drugs than any other federal group--it is unconscionable that they do not have a law enforcement officer benefit!

My Law Enforcement Officer Equity Act, LEO Equity Act, H.R. 1841, says "Yes!" to these officers. My LEO Equity Act says, "Yes!" to ensuring the safety of our country as these officers protect our borders and ports of entry. It says, "Yes!" to ensuring a strong and vigorous workforce necessary for our country to have the finest level of protection possible.

Our country deserves no less and these valiant officers who protect us deserves no less. Any cost created by this act is offset by savings in training costs and increased revenue collection. A 20-year-retirement bill for these employees will reduce turnover, increase yield, decrease recruitment and development costs, and enhance the retention of a well-trained and experienced workforce.

I ask the Committee to strongly consider these personnel and morale issues when discussing the important role that the Customs Service plays in our country’s trade policy. Thank you Mr. Chairman.