The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will continue its public-private partnership under a reimbursable services agreement, which provides the agency with reimbursement for additional travel expenses, overtime, and support services. The terms of this contract enable immigration and trade inspections at ports of entry, as well as agricultural processing entities, to extend their service hours to meet demand.
According to a CBP news release, numerous municipal and federal companies can reimburse the CBP for extra services related to incoming commercial and cargo traffic, along with international traveler arrivals. This list encompasses ports of entry in states ranging from Alabama to Washington.
Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Diane J. Sabatino of CBP’s Office of Field Operations stated, "CBP is able to accommodate the unforeseen needs of our partners, and better serve them, through the Reimbursable Services Program while fulfilling our security mission." Sabatino further noted that these public-private partnerships contribute to American economic prosperity by facilitating legitimate travel and trade.
Since its inception in 2013, the Reimbursable Services Program has been extended to 375 companies or organizations according to another CBP news release. The program has provided over 1.34 million additional processing hours at the request of companies for which CBP offers services. These include processing over 2.1 million personal and commercial vehicles and 19.2 million travelers.
The agreement allows CBP to request reimbursable services such as overtime from airports handling 100,000 or more arriving international passengers annually as per the release. Airports receiving fewer than 100,000 international passengers each year can reimburse salaries for up to five full-time equivalent CBP officers.
