Defending Our Nation: Customs and Border Protection (PDF)

America has always been a nation of immigrants. In addition to the approximately 1 million immigrants who enter the United States legally each year, millions more enter without documentation or overstay their visas. It is the job of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to help hard working immigrants in search of a better life to enter the U.S. legally while keeping out terrorists and other foreign nationals who would seek to harm the nation.CBP, which operates under the umbrella of the Department of Homeland Security, is one of the world's largest law enforcement organizations with more than 60,000 employees. CBP is charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. while helping lawful international travel and trade. The men and women of CBP are responsible for enforcing hundreds of U.S. laws and regulations. On a typical day, CBP welcomes nearly 1 million visitors, screens more than 67,000 cargo containers, arrests more than 1,100 individuals, and seizes nearly 6 tons of illicit drugs.This book provides an in-depth look at Customs and Border Protection and the important role it plays in keeping America a safe and strong nation of immigrants.PUBLISHER'S NOTE: Each title in this series contains a foreword from a noted security and antiterrorism expert who has served in the FBI, Marines, and police force, color photos throughout, and back matter that includes an index, chronology, and further resource lists of books and Internet resources. Key Icons appear throughout the books in this series, encouraging library readers to build knowledge, gain awareness, explore possibilities and expand their viewpoints through our content-rich nonfiction books. Key Icons in this series are as follows: Words to Understand are shown at the front of each chapter with definitions. These words are set in boldfaced type in that chapter, so that readers can reference back to the definitions—building their vocabulary and enhancing their reading comprehension. Sidebars are highlighted graphics with content rich material within that allows readers to build knowledge and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Text-Dependent Questions are placed at the end of each chapter. They challenge the reader's comprehension of the chapter they have just read, while sending the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there. Research Projects are provided at the end of each chapter as well and provide readers with suggestions for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis. Educational Videos provide links via QR codes to online video content that gives a multimedia dimension to the topics. And a Series Glossary of Key Terms is included in the back matter containing terminology used throughout the series. Words found here broaden the reader's knowledge and understanding of terms used in this field.