CBP Emphasizes Biometric Identification in New Five-Year Strategy Report

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has shared new mission and vision statements, both of which reaffirm the agency’s commitment to 12 strategic objectives that were established last year. The mission statement states that CBP will protect American citizens and the country’s borders, while the vision statement declares CBP’s intention to do so while observing the principles of innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust.

Both statements come courtesy of the agency’s newly published Strategy for the period between 2021-2026. The five-year plan builds on the agency’s strategy for the past year, which places a strong emphasis on new security technologies. Most notably, the CBP will continue to prioritize biometric identification. The agency has aggressively expanded its use of facial recognition in the past year, and has now installed biometric screening technology at dozens of international airports and land borders.

“Great organizations adapt effectively and efficiently, recognizing that change is constant and inevitable,” said Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan. “Our ability to deliver on our mission depends on our ability to navigate through change in the present, embracing it as we plan for the future while never losing sight of our purpose.”

Other objectives include data and analytics, intelligence, enforcement, IT infrastructure, and trade. However, the Government Accountability Office has censured CBP for being negligent with privacy notices and compliance audits.

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December 18, 2020 – by Eric Weiss