USBP Overview Part 1
During the creation of the Department of Homeland
Security, the United States Border Patrol, along with the INS
inspection division, the U.S. Customs inspection division, and
the Department of Agriculture’s plant and animal inspection
service, were merged into a new agency called U.S. Customs and
Border Protection, also known as CBP.
While the traditional mission of the United
States Border Patrol has always been the detection and prevention
of the illegal entry of aliens and smuggling of illegal contraband
into the United States anywhere other than a designated port-of-entry,
the dawn of the age of terrorism within our nation has added a
new and high priority mission: to detect and prevent the entry
of terrorists and their weapons into the United States.
On horseback, and on land, sea, and air, the United
States Border Patrol defends America.
The Border Patrol never sleeps. Twenty-four hours
a day, seven days a week the men and women of the United States
Border Patrol are doing everything possible with the limited resources
available to them to secure the borders of the United States of
America.
Keeping America’s borders safe is a very dangerous
assignment. Nearly 100 Border Patrol officers have
lost their lives in the line of duty. Thousands have been
wounded.
The Border Patrol’s mission has increased
over the years. Today, the Border Patrol must also operate within
the interior of United States — monitoring roads and even
some airports where illegal aliens concentrate. In addition, other
government agencies have granted the United States Border Patrol
certain additional powers to help them protect our borders.
The function of the United States Border Patrol
has been an essential element of our country's security since
before our Constitution was even written. On July
4th, 1776 our Founding Fathers declared our country independent
from England. It is this act that we celebrate on July 4th
of every year. The twentyseventh reason for our separation
from England — as listed in our Declaration
of Independence — is the King's refusal to provide the people
of America with a secure border.
