The resulting DHS policy now bans officers from using deadly force against a person who is only a threat to themselves or property. It also directed the heads of all federal law enforcement agencies to reassess their internal investigation and discipline processes, as well as clarify their guidance on use-of-force standards. “Doing so serves all Americans.”Īmong other things, the executive order mandated the creation of a national database aimed at tracking officer misconduct. “It is time that we acknowledge the legacy of systemic racism in our criminal justice system and work together to eliminate the racial disparities that endure to this day,” read part of the order. The order, aimed at increasing police accountability and public safety, highlighted policing disparities for people and communities of color. The required updates to the DHS use-of-force policy were laid out in Biden’s May 2022 executive order, which he issued two years to the day after the in-custody death of George Floyd. “From a (Border Patrol) agent’s point of view, in an agent’s field operations, literally nothing has changed,” she said. Officials for CBP, the parent agency of Border Patrol, did not respond to questions about the policy updates or how they might be implemented here.įor critics such as Jenn Budd, the former Border Patrol agent turned detractor who wants to see the status quo altered, the updates were too incremental. “We’re years ahead of the game,” Derrick Arnold, a CBP officer and vice president of NTEU Chapter 105, said. “This is something we’ve been doing for a very long time,” said Alfonso Ortiz, a CBP officer and treasurer of the National Treasury Employees Union’s San Diego-based Chapter 105.įor the union officials, this was good news, as they felt their members have already been meeting the higher standards. Once union officials read the updates, they said the policy didn’t appear to prompt significant changes for customs officers, whose primary job is to screen incoming travelers and cargo at land, air and sea ports of entry. But it doesn’t appear the updates have received much attention among active DHS employees, at least not yet.īoth a spokesperson for the San Diego-area CBP office and a representative of the union for local customs officers were unaware when contacted last week that DHS had issued a use-of-force policy update. The updated DHS policy, while only pertaining to law enforcement officers, is a department-wide protocol that each agency within DHS must now include in their own specific policies. CPB and Border Patrol agents, including tactical teams, have even been deployed to police crowds of protesters in cities such as San Diego, Portland, Seattle and Washington, D.C. They investigate everything from financial crimes, fraud and human trafficking to immigration violations, illegal entry and terrorism. Law enforcement officers from various agencies under the DHS umbrella have jurisdiction at airports, border crossings and throughout the interior of the U.S. While CBP and Border Patrol have an extensive presence in the San Diego area and collectively employ roughly 50,000 officers and agents nationwide, the policy updates are not border specific.
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