U.S. Ports of Entry: Update on CBP Public-Private Partnerships
Fast Facts
Over 869,000 people and over 91,000 truck, rail, and sea containers entered the U.S. every day in FY 2022 through 328 U.S. ports of entry.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection uses 2 public-private partnership programs to augment its port services. One allows partners such as port authorities to reimburse CBP for additional work outside regular hours. Another accepts donations for infrastructure improvements, which could speed up CBP's work.
Since our 2022 report, CBP added 135 reimbursement partnerships and 3 donation partnerships, bringing the totals to 398 and 46 since 2013.
Artist’s Rendering of a Commercial Infrastructure Improvement Project Funded through a CBP Partnership at the Anzalduas Port of Entry in McAllen, Texas
Highlights
What GAO Found
Since GAO's January 2022 report, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security, continued to expand its public-private partnership programs—the Reimbursable Services Program (RSP) and the Donations Acceptance Program (DAP). The RSP allows partners, such as port authorities or local municipalities that own or manage ports, to reimburse CBP for providing services that exceed CBP's normal operations, such as paying overtime for CBP personnel that provide services at ports of entry (POE) outside regular business hours. The DAP enables partners to donate property or provide funding for POE infrastructure improvements.
Regarding the RSP, since our January 2022 report, CBP selected an additional 135 RSP applications for partnerships, bringing the total of RSP selections to 398 since fiscal year 2013. As of October 2023, CBP and its partners had executed 464 memorandums of understanding (MOU) from RSP partnerships that they entered into since fiscal year 2013. These MOUs outline how agreements are to be implemented at one or more POEs. Of those 464 MOUs, 12 cover agreements at land POEs, 73 cover agreements at sea POEs, and 379 cover agreements at air POEs. GAO previously reported that although the number of RSP partnerships has increased, the growth in the total number of reimbursable CBP officer assignments, officer overtime hours, and reimbursed funds were still less than in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in October 2023, CBP officials said that the number of requests for RSP services and the number of applications that CBP receives were increasing due to a post-COVID-19 rebound and their outreach, particularly to general aviation partners. Furthermore, officials told us that their outreach efforts to stakeholders include communicating application requirements and time frames and encouraging potential applicants to apply in advance of when they will need services.
Regarding DAP, since our January 2022 report, CBP entered into three new donation acceptance partnerships, bringing the total number of agreements to 46 since fiscal year 2015. Partners span a variety of sectors such as state and local governments, private companies, and airline companies. Correspondingly, donations served a variety of purposes such as expanding inspection facility infrastructure, providing biometric detection services, and providing luggage for canine training. As of October 2023, 30 of 46 of these projects, or 65 percent, were at land POEs. CBP officials estimated that the total value of all donations entered into between September 2015 and October 2023 was $262.1 million.
Why GAO Did This Study
On a daily basis in fiscal year 2022, approximately 869,000 passengers and pedestrians and over 91,000 truck, rail, and sea containers carrying goods worth approximately $9.2 billion entered the United States through 328 U.S. land, sea, and air POEs, according to CBP. To help meet demand for CBP inspection services, since 2013, CBP has entered into public-private partnerships under the RSP and DAP. Section 482 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, as added by the Cross-Border Trade Enhancement Act of 2016 and amended by the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, includes a provision for GAO to biennially review the agreements along with the funds and donations that CBP has received under the RSP and DAP. We were previously directed to review these RSP and DAP agreements, funds, and donations annually. Under the prior annual reporting requirement, GAO issued five reports on the programs—in January 2022, January 2021, January 2020, March 2019, and March 2018. This sixth report updates key information from GAO's January 2022 report by examining the status of CBP public-private partnership program agreements, including the purposes for which CBP used the funds and donations from these agreements in 2022 and 2023. GAO collected and analyzed information on any new RSP agreements, DAP agreements, and MOUs for both programs for 2022 and 2023. GAO also analyzed data on the use of the programs and interviewed CBP officials to identify any significant changes to how the programs are administered.
For more information, contact Rebecca Gambler at (202) 512-8777 or gamblerr@gao.gov.