Washington, D.C.— Only a single federal operation employs more law enforcement officers than does the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and yet these more than 17,000 dedicated border security employees continue to be denied the formal designation of federal law enforcement officer (LEO) and the retirement benefits that come with it. “This continuing denial of LEO status for CBP Officers is not only wrong, it is indefensible,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents CBP employees.
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report to the House Judiciary Committee identifies 17,168 CBP employees who qualify for LEO status under the GAO definition. According to GAO, law enforcement officers are individuals who are authorized as part of their work to perform any of four specific law enforcement functions: conduct criminal investigations, execute search warrants, make arrests or carry firearms.
Read the full report here
