This bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to negotiate or amend agreements with Canada to allow integrated cross-border aerial, land, and maritime law enforcement operations. It amends the Tariff Act of 1930 to allow the Secretary of State, in coordination with DHS, to enter treaties or agreements that extend to a designated foreign customs officer the same privileges and immunities as a U.S. Customs officer. The bill adds a new provision allowing U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to use funds available to it to pay tort claims that arise in a foreign country in connection with CBP operations. It also adds a section to the Homeland Security Act allowing the Secretary or the Attorney General to station or deploy U.S. law enforcement officers in a foreign country and to accept stationing of foreign law enforcement officials in the United States for the purpose of enhancing border security or conducting joint operations; the Secretary of State may enter treaties to extend necessary privileges and immunities to those foreign personnel.
The bill would enable negotiations with Canada for joint operations in the air, on land, and at sea. It would allow U.S. officers to be stationed abroad and foreign officers to be stationed in the United States for joint actions. CBP could use its available funds to pay claims that arise in foreign countries tied to its operations. No publicly available information on specific locations, timelines, or number of personnel to be stationed.
The bill permits the use of funds appropriated or otherwise available to CBP to pay tort claims arising abroad related to CBP operations. The text does not include cost estimates, budget totals, or detailed funding plans. No publicly available information on overall cost or budgetary impact.
The bill includes a "sense of Congress" urging the Secretary of Homeland Security to use these authorities, to the greatest extent practicable and consistent with U.S. foreign policy, to negotiate with Canada for integrated cross-border operations. Sponsors introduced the bill to enable closer operational cooperation and to provide legal authorities for stationing personnel and addressing claims that arise from operations.
No publicly available information.