More Commissioner Controversy

Appointed by the President of the United States, the Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection is a government official responsible for the overall management of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The Commissioner is charged with the enforcement of all rules and regulations, and for setting internal procedures, consistent with the regulations, for the CBP staff.

Alan Bersin was appointed as the interim Commissioner by President Obama on March 27, 2010. At his confirmation hearing on Thursday, members of the Senate Finance Committee questioned Commissioner Bersin concerning his failure to file I-9 forms for certain household employees for 20 years. The I-9 is the document used to verify employees have the proper documentation to work in the United States. Committee Chairman Max Baucus, stated that “as the person responsible for securing our nation’s borders, your failure to follow the law is unacceptable.” In addition to the I-9 violations, Bersin may be receiving extra scrutiny because the committee disliked the fact that Bersin and others were appointed prior to the completion of the vetting process.

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