Editor’s note: This story was edited to remove information that was not intended for publication.
U.S. Customs & Border Protection is bracing for a potential wave of retirements in 2028 that may affect operations, an agency official confirmed to Transport Dive.
Tom Overacker, CBP executive director of cargo and conveyance security, said officers ages 50 and older with 20 years of service will become eligible to retire with enhanced benefits that year.
Between now and the end of 2027, 4,361 CBP officers in the Office of Field Operations will be eligible for retirement, according to the agency.
In 2028, 5,467 more CBP officers will become eligible.
“Therefore, the total number of CBP officers eligible for retirement in 2028 could be more than 9,800,” a CBP spokesperson wrote in an email.
Many are required to retire once they reach age 57 with 20 years of service.
A smooth flow of goods across borders is extremely important to the trucking industry and the broader U.S. economy, American Trucking Associations Chief Economist Bob Costello said in a statement.
“We are concerned reductions in staffing at the border will negatively impact the flow of trucks across the border,” said Costello, who is also ATA senior vice president of international trade policy & cross-border operations.
Forecasting “a significant surge” in retirements over the next decade, Customs has asked Congress for an additional $5.9 million in FY2023 funds for applicant and employee suitability and applicant sourcing. The retirements will require a “proactive multiyear effort to identify, recruit, process and hire new law enforcement officers to offset the projected losses,” according to a budget overview.
Turnover isn’t limited to rank-and-file Customs officers, however.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus resigned Nov. 12, ending a post-midterms standoff with President Biden after initially refusing to leave and saying he would force the president to fire him, according to the Washington Post.
