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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President Obama to Nominate Alan Bersin to Lead CBP

After a long wait, it appears that U.S. Customs and Border Protection may finally get a new Commissioner. In March, we reported that Alan Bersin was rumored to be the top nominee for the next Commissioner. Yesterday, it was announced that President Obama planned to nominate Alan Bersin to serve as U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner. Mr. Bersin has served as Assistant Secretary for International Affairs and Special Representative for Border Affairs at the Department of Homeland Security since April. He held a similar position as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of California and the U.S. attorney general’s Southwest border representative under the Clinton administration. Although Bersin will remain with the DHS, his new position as Commissioner will require Senate confirmation.


In addition to Bersin, President Obama also announced his intent to nominate seven other individuals. Click HERE to learn more about the nominees.