Assignment 5: Border Patrol Agent
Jeremy Matkovich
Strayer University
CRJ 100

Within this document one will get a better understanding of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent. This document will present a description of the border patrol, annotated web link, an article related to the career, three professional associations that could support, and legal code according to the state of Maryland. Border Patrol Agents actively patrol the borders to prevent innocent civilians from entering or leaving the United States without government permission. [ (Schmalleger, 2011) ] Agents detect and prevent the smuggling and unlawful entry of aliens into the United States, along with apprehending those people found to be in violation of immigration laws. Agents work to lower crimes and improve the quality of life in border communities. In some areas Agents are deputized or have peace-officer status and use it to enforce local and state/territory laws. [ (Schmalleger, 2011) ]
One of the most important activities for a Border Patrol Agent is "line watch". This involves the detection, prevention and apprehension of terrorists, illegal aliens and smugglers of both aliens and contraband at or near the land border by maintaining surveillance from a covert position, following up leads, responding to electronic sensor television systems, aircraft sightings, and interpreting and following tracks, marks and other physical evidence. [ (Schmalleger, 2011) ] Some of the major activities are farm and ranch check, traffic check, traffic observation, city patrol, transportation check, administrative, intelligence, and anti-smuggling activities.
An annotated web link library of the web site related to the Border Patrol Agent is http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/. This web site gives a idea of what the Border Patrol Agents mission and goals are. This site is based on future employment for the customs and border protection.
An article that I found was in the New York Times. This article is at http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/13/us/aftereffects-chemical-weapons-dogs-take-their-place-arsenal-against-chemical.html?ref=customsandborderprotectionbureau. Customs and Border Agents are training dogs to sniff out components of bomb-type weapons when someone attempts to bring the materials into, or use them in, the United States. [ (SHENON, 2003) ] The dogs are called chemical detector dogs and will be deployed at airports and other possible terrorist targets. Dogs are already used to find explosives, human remains, and narcotics, and so this program should be successful. [ (SHENON, 2003) ] If the dogs are successful in finding chemicals which can be used in bomb-making, they will save the federal government money because the development of machines to do this has been very expensive. The article said that narcotics dogs cannot be cross-trained for this work because the training is very different, and the dogs wouldn’t understand the difference. The article also notes that the dogs in the program now were bought from breeders, but that in the future, it is expected that ordinary dogs in the dog pounds across the country will be trained for this work. Customs and Border Agents also are examining the possibility that dogs can be trained to find biological agents although the success there is less likely.
There are many different professional associations that could support the border patrol agent. One of those professional associations is Federation for American Immigration Reform. According to its website, the mission of the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) “is to examine immigration trends and effects, to educate the American people on the impacts of sustained high-volume immigration, and to discern, put forward, and advocate immigration policies that will best serve American environmental, societal, and economic interests today and into the future.” (FAIR) Its website claims 250,000 members and supporters nationwide. It appears that the lowest level of membership support is $25 per month although there are much higher donation/membership categories. (FAIR) FAIR publishes an average of two opinion pieces per month with titles such as “We Are Creating a Dependency on H-1B Workers.” (FAIR)
According to its website, NumbersUSA. Is ”a non-profit, non-partisan, public policy organization that favors an environmentally sustainable and economically just America. It opposes efforts to use federal immigration policies to force mass U.S. population growth and to depress wages of vulnerable workers. (NumberUSA, 2012) It says NumbersUSA is pro-environment, pro-worker, pro-liberty and pro-immigrant.” It calls itself an "immigration-reduction organization." No membership listing is given, but from its ability to generate FAX’s to legislators, it probably has at least 100,000 members. (NumberUSA, 2012) NumbersUSA is a part of the Combined Federal Campaign and appears to use donations efficiently. It publishes opinion pieces on Immigration Reform, Amnesty, the effects of immigration on the American worker.
According to its website, the American Border Patrol American Border Patrol is “the only non-governmental organization (NGO) that monitors the border on a regular basis - mostly by air. It has three aircraft, each designed for a specialized mission.” It doesn’t appear to have a definite membership except for the 4 or 5 members of its Board of Directors. It basically fundraises by collecting donations and by selling a few items. Its publications are mainly things like the DVD, “The Truth about the Border Fence.” (american border patrol, 2011)
According to Maryland law, pleasure boat operators must report to the nearest U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility when arriving in any port or place with the U.S. from a foreign port or place. The master or designee of the boat may go ashore only to report the arrival of CBP either in person or by telephone. (Maryland Border Law, 2008) No other person may leave or board the boat and no baggage or merchandise may be removed or loaded. The boat must be available for inspection. http://www.tsa.gov/join/benefits/soar/cbp/bpa.shtm The Transportation Security Administration is currently recruiting for Customs and Border Protection agents. This website has a very good description of the job’s key duties and responsibilities, the duty locations, the pre-employment requirements, the conditions of employment, the training one receives, and the required competencies. [ (Transportation Secuirty Adminstration, 2012) ] It provides a self-assessment tool for one to judge whether this might be the right kind of job.

References american border patrol. (2011). Retrieved February 28, 2012, from America eyes on the border: http://americanborderpatrol.com/index.html
FAIR. (n.d.). Retrieved february 28, 2012, from Federation for American Immigration Reform.
Maryland Border Law. (2008). Retrieved Februray 28, 2012, from CBP: cbp.gov
NumberUSA. (2012). Retrieved february 28, 2012, from For Lower Immigration Level : https://www.numbersusa.com/content/view/news
Schmalleger, F. (2011). criminal justice today. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.
SHENON, P. (2003, May 13). AFTEREFFECTS: CHEMICAL WEAPONS; Dogs Take Their Place in Arsenal Against Chemical Attack. Retrieved February 28, 2012, from New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/13/us/aftereffects-chemical-weapons-dogs-take-their-place-arsenal-against-chemical.html?ref=customsandborderprotectionbureau
Transportation Secuirty Adminstration. (2012). Retrieved February 28, 2012, from Border Patrol : http://www.tsa.gov/join/benefits/soar/cbp/bpa.shtm