All articles tagged with #cbp
Michael Banks resigns as head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, effective immediately, saying it’s time to retire and return to Texas. He led CBP during a push to tighten border security amid Trump’s policy agenda, lauding the administration’s perceived improvements, while departing amid morale concerns and policy disagreements under Biden; no immediate successor was named.
US Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks resigns with immediate effect as part of a broader exodus of Trump-era immigration officials. His tenure saw a dramatic expansion of border militarization, increased prosecutions, closer ICE coordination, and the creation of national defense areas along the southern border. The resignation follows decades-old misconduct allegations that CBP reportedly investigated and later closed.
After the Supreme Court struck down parts of Trump-era tariffs, the first tariff refunds began arriving, with Oshkosh and Basic Fun confirming payments. The refunds cover entries finalized in the past 80 days, and CBP projects about $35.46 billion for 8.3 million shipments, though the process could take months. Trump criticized the refunds, saying he will fight paying them back; logistics firms like UPS, FedEx and DHL will file refunds on behalf of customers to support cash flow and reinvestment.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection boarded eight cruise ships in late April as part of a nationwide operation targeting child sexual exploitation material, interviewing 28 crew members from several countries; 27 were linked to possession, distribution, or viewing of CSEM, visas were canceled, and most were deported. The actions overlapped with related detentions on a Holland America vessel, and Disney said those involved are no longer with the company.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection arrested 28 people in a child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) operation, including staffers on a Disney cruise ship. The investigation found 27 of the 28 subjects were involved in receiving, possessing, transporting, distributing, or viewing CSEM; visas were canceled and the individuals were returned to their countries of citizenship. Disney Cruise Line said it has a zero-tolerance policy and cooperated with authorities; those linked to the company are no longer employed. The agency did not release names of the staffers, and video of arrests aboard the Disney Magic surfaced in April; eight cruise ships were boarded as part of the operation.
The US House approved a Senate-passed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, ending a 76-day partial shutdown caused by immigration-enforcement funding disputes. DHS will reopen, but ICE and CBP funding is not included and will be addressed in a separate bill amid Democrat demands for reforms and Republican push for full funding, a clash that led to airport disruptions during the funding impasse.
House Republicans used the budget resolution to unlock a party-line package potentially funding up to $75 billion for ICE and Border Patrol, edging toward ending the DHS shutdown. The effort dragged on as farm-bill concessions and internal GOP rifts surfaced, but a side deal decoupled an ethanol issue (E15) from the farm bill, enabling a pathway to year-round E15 and a forthcoming reconciliation bill later this year; Trump has urged final action by June 1.
The Trump administration moved quickly to build a system to reimburse billions of dollars in tariffs, but the White House is now pressuring companies not to seek refunds, leaving importers to decide whether to pass savings to customers or risk political backlash. The refund pool could reach about $165 billion, with roughly 57,000 importers already starting the eligibility process out of an estimated 300,000 who paid tariffs. Costco signaled it would return value to members via lower prices, while some CEOs warn that not filing could invite litigation. The White House has not yet said whether it will appeal a court ruling limiting refunds, and the Supreme Court previously narrowed the tariffs under IEEPA.
Senate Republicans released a narrow $140 billion budget blueprint to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol for about 3.5 years, aiming to keep DHS funded while limiting Democrats’ leverage for reforms. The plan has drawn internal GOP divisions and calls for using reconciliation, with a potential Senate vote this week as leaders try to lock in party support amid the ongoing funding standoff with Democrats who want broader changes.
Senate Republicans released a budget resolution to fully fund ICE and CBP through the end of President Donald Trump’s term, aiming to do so without Democratic votes and directing the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and Judiciary committees to draft final immigration-enforcement bills with a $70 billion cap per committee. Democrats condemned the move as a blank check that would prolong the DHS shutdown without reforms, as lawmakers race toward a June deadline while past efforts to fund DHS excluding ICE/CBP have failed and a House stopgap extended DHS funding through May 22.
Senate Republicans unveiled a 58-page budget resolution to start a reconciliation process to fund ICE and CBP within DHS, authorizing up to about $70 billion in new spending over roughly 3.5 years and aiming to move a final measure to the president by June 1; Democrats oppose funding immigration enforcement without reforms, while Republicans say the move is needed for border security and the plan hinges on House action to complete the funding.
At launch, CBP’s CAPE tariff-refund portal faced outages and heavy traffic, delaying claims from importers such as Learning Resources and Busy Baby; the agency says it’s investigating the issues while processing eligible IEEPA refunds, with most refunds expected within 60–90 days of approval (though timings can vary), as businesses weigh the impact of tariffs on pricing and growth.
Two months after the Supreme Court struck down President Trump’s tariffs, the U.S. kicks off a phased process to reimburse importers—about $166 billion plus interest—through the CBP’s Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries (CAPE) portal. In the first phase, only importers of record (or their brokers) with eligible tariff payments can apply, and refunds are expected within 60–90 days after approval, though longer if additional reviews are needed or if the administration takes steps to shrink refunds.
The Trump administration has launched an online portal via US Customs and Border Protection to begin refunding about $166 billion in tariffs invalidated by the Supreme Court, covering more than 53 million shipments from roughly 330,000 importers. Refunds should be issued within 60–90 days after CBP approves each claim, and the process could eventually reach consumers; more than 3,000 businesses, including FedEx and Costco, have pursued refunds through lawsuits.
Trump signaled support for a narrowly focused budget reconciliation bill to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and parts of Border Patrol for the rest of his presidency, bolstering Senate Republicans’ push to bypass a filibuster amid a Homeland Security funding impasse. Lindsey Graham and John Barrasso are drafting the measure, with a potential floor vote the week of April 20 and a June 1 deadline, while House conservatives push to limit or broaden the package.