Border agents put on happy face

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection wants to put a new face on the inspectors who handle 650 million visitors and immigrants arriving each year at the nation's ports of entry -- a happy one from officers with good posture and friendly words, such as "Have a nice day."

CBP Commissioner Robert C. Bonner announced the new initiative yesterday, saying the move would ensure that the agency and its personnel practice the highest of standards in professionalism.

"U.S. Customs and Border Protection is the guardian of this country's borders, but it is also the face of our nation and the U.S. government to all who enter," Mr. Bonner said in announcing the program.

"We are implementing standards and policies to ensure the highest degree of professionalism and courtesy at our nation's ports of entry, and we are allowing CBP officers the discretion necessary to resolve technical infractions rapidly, while carrying out their primary mission of preventing terrorists and terrorist weapons from entering the country," he said.

Mr. Bonner said he expected "professionalism and courtesy" to be the hallmark of CBP officers at the nation's 317 ports of entry and noted that signs will be posted at all air, sea and land ports inviting those who are not treated fairly to complain.

But the initiative was not well-received by many of the agency's rank and file, said Charles Showalter, president of the National Homeland Security Council, which represents 18,000 former Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) employees now at CBP and at its parent agency, the Department of Homeland Security.

"We are highly trained and skilled law-enforcement professionals who carry out our duties in a professional manner," Mr. Showalter said. "It appears this program is an admission they are more concerned about meeting and greeting commerce and tourism than in protecting our nation's borders from terrorists, illegal aliens, criminals and others who would do us harm."

Mr. Bonner noted that an important part of professionalism is the appropriate exercise of discretion in determining whether to refuse or permit entry of people attempting to enter the United States.

"Since the overwhelming majority of travelers pose absolutely no threat to our national security, CBP will use discretion to permit entry, whenever the law allows, for individuals that have committed a technical or inadvertent immigration violation, but who otherwise pose no threat whatsoever," he said.

He said potential terrorists, those that might be engaged in criminal activity and those who might add to the illegal population of the United States will be refused entry.