Grijalva Demands Oversight of CBP's Mishandling of Migrant Possessions

There is a difference between personal items and contraband coming over the southern border. However, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) supposedly does not always make this distinction, prompting a letter led by Representative Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and multiple Congress members demanding oversight and accountability of agents when searching migrants' belongings.

This issue, which has been ongoing since November 2022, demands immediate attention. Multiple non-government organizations (NGOs) have reported instances of agents confiscating and discarding migrants' personal belongings, including the turbans of Sikh men and the hijabs of Muslim women.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), as a leading authority in government oversight, has sought to curb the issue, yet it remains ongoing. As a result, Rep. Grijalva's letter to CBP Commissioner Troy Miller called for more significant efforts to implement GAO's authoritative policies.

"Over the last two years, Members of Congress have repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the Border Patrol's treatment of migrants' personal belongings… While CBP has responded in various degrees to these requests for information and oversight actions, humanitarian aid organizations continue to report alarming cases of property confiscation, and we have yet to see CBP meaningfully address these persistent concerns at the policy level," said Rep. Grijalva's letter.

The letter also underscores the need to standardize the handling of possessions among different sectors, as confiscation incidents have occurred in specific areas. It also raises a crucial question about religious paraphernalia, asking if new handling procedures will align with the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.

Lastly, Grijalva asked how CBP would handle and return medical items and medications after processing migrants and, if confiscation is necessary, ensure the provision of replacements.

In March, the Arizona Congressman demanded improvements to the CBP One asylum app used by migrants to process and check their asylum cases, which had multiple issues. For instance, the app only offered three languages, facial recognition software misidentified people, and the strict lottery system incentivized the hiring of cartels to smuggle migrants over the border.