S.Amdt. 6232

The amendment, known as the Creating Uniform Security and Transit Over Migratory Sectors Act (or the CUSTOMS Act), aims to change how land ports of entry along United States international borders are managed. Its primary purpose is to transfer the custody and authority of all these sites from the Administrator of General Services to the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Key Changes and Additions:

• Custody Transfer: It mandates that the Secretary assume sole custody of all land ports of entry within 5 years. This includes a transition period of joint custody and an interim phase where the Secretary has primary management jurisdiction.

• Operational Management: The Secretary must establish new offices within U.S. Customs and Border Protection to handle contracting, leasing, title acquisitions, and relationships with other government entities.

• Asylum Processing: Once the transfer is complete, the Secretary must identify at least 15 ports of entry on the Mexico border and 15 on the Canada border with high numbers of asylum seekers. The amendment requires the establishment of at least one dedicated pedestrian lane and appropriate facilities at these sites, along with detailing asylum officers to these locations.

• Personnel and Contracting: The Secretary is granted direct hire authority to staff these sites, provided existing personnel are considered first. It also requires a streamlined process for expediting contracts and interagency agreements.

• Accountability and Reporting: The amendment adds several reporting requirements, including annual reports on port inventories and maintenance, an implementation report on asylum processing, and biannual reports from the Comptroller General regarding the source and impact of any port of entry donations.