U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office wants to tell its story

“We have a good story to tell and we need to get that story out,” Kris Lessard, International Falls area port director, told a group gathered at a luncheon sponsored by International Falls and the International Falls Area Chamber of Commerce.

To help the community get a fuller understanding of what goes on at the CBP facility in International Falls, CBP will offer this spring a “citizens academy.” The six-week long program will allow members of the public to visit, for four hours one night each week, the facility where CBP officers will show what they do and the processes they use to move people and goods into the United States, Lessard said.

“I am proud of our agency and what we do,” she said.

Lessard was joined in the presentation by Brian King, port director and public liaison at the Warroad port of entry, and Chief CBP Officer David Herrly.

King offered a national perspective on the agency, which was established in 2003 following the 9/11 attacks, under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security along with the Office of Border Patrol and Office of Air and Marine.

He described the mission of CBP and said that inspections of goods and people at ports of entry are conducted as efficiently as possible.

“We don’t want the inspection process to go longer than it has to,” he said. “We trust, but must verify (information provided during inspections.)”

He urged local folks entering the U.S. at the port to have their documents out and ready to provide to an inspection officer and to take their sunglasses off to help speed the processes.

Lessard explained that she is responsible for several facilities 200 miles to the east and 115 miles west of the Falls.

She admitted that entering the Falls land port can be confusing, and noted that a plan to construct a new facility to the east of the existing facility has been proposed.

King noted that a new facility constructed at Warroad in 2010 was the result of a 10-year planning process.

Falls Mayor Shawn Mason later added that the $100 million project has not been funded by Congress and may not be. However, she said a bill expected to be offered in Congress would allow for the facility to be constructed in a public-private partnership, which she said local officials will begin to explore.

Meanwhile, Lessard described the duties of officers handling the vast amount of container traffic heading into the U.S. at Ranier — the busiest rail port in North America.

Lessard also urged people to contact the agency if they believe they were treated unprofessionally by an agent.

“We’re not Walmart greeters and I don’t think you want us to be,” she said, adding later that there is no excuse for rude or unprofessional behavior.

To report unprofessional behavior, she said people may ask to speak to a supervisor at the facility, call later to speak to a supervisor, or provide a written complaint via the CBP website.

Complaints are taken seriously, she said, and could result in officer training, counseling or discipline.

Lessard answered questions posed before and during the presentation on several topics.

She said products banned from entry into the U.S. are posted on the agency’s website as well as provided to media outlets. Agricultural items are banned when disease status and pest risks threaten the agricultural industry of the U.S. She pointed to a recent prohibition of rice brought into the U.S.

She noted that children under the age of 16 entering the country should have a birth certificate, and if not accompanied by a parent, a note from the parents with contact information. King noted that NEXUS cards, a part of a frequent traveler program, are free for children under 18.

U.S. citizens without a passport cannot be denied entry into the country, said Lessard, but the lack of a passport may delay entry as officers must verify identity and citizenship.

King explained that people may be inspected as they leave the U.S. in routine and random inspections intended to identify if goods require documentation as they leave the country. Or, he said, the checks may be done to determine if someone is fleeing the country or carrying stolen goods for sale in Canada.

Falls resident Randy Pozniak told the group that they should contact CBP officers if they are involved in an activity that will cause frequent entry into the U.S. or by many people at once.

Lessard agreed and said she appreciated the cooperation of local people in that effort.