The Failure of Homeland In-Security: The Government's Dirty Little Secrets from an Insider
By Cathy Harris
()
About this ebook
My fight with U.S. Customs was long, hard, and fierce but I was sent angels. I was sent angels in the form of Whistleblower attorneys, EEO attorneys, legislators, media entities, civil rights leaders, community activists and advocates.
I remembered what my parents instilled in me about being respectful, doing the right thing, and telling the truth. Knowing my life would change forever and realizing my decision would affect my family, impact my livelihood, and derail my career, I was willing to risk it all to make a difference.
I could no longer sit idly by watching atrocities and injustices being committed against international travelers especially against women. I knew it was time to “make a stand.” In October 1998, I made a life-altering decision. I became a Federal Whistleblower (truth-teller).
Americans love to travel abroad. Whether an experienced world traveler or preparing for a first trip aboard, all travelers love to venture beyond the boundaries of the United States. They enter into a world of passports, visas, consulates, foreign currency, immunizations, Customs, and importing areas about which most travelers have little knowledge or experience.
Picture This: You’ve worked hard and decide to reward yourself with a trip to a sunny destination beyond America’s shores. At the end of your wonderful vacation, you board the plane for your return trip home. You arrive at the airport, but instead of making your way quickly and routinely through U.S. Customs, you find yourself being subjected to an abusive pat-down, intrusive strip-search, x-rayed, probed internally, fed a laxative, and handcuffed to a hospital bed for up to 4 days in a search for contraband. If you are African American, especially an African-American female, this scenario, it turns out, is all too likely.
After witnessing first hand a type of denigration against African-American travelers particularly women and successfully putting reforms in place to protect them, I realized something even more sinister was about to happen to the American people.
In March 2003, the Department of Homeland Security merged 22 federal agencies totaling over 180,000 employees. This included my agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Over 73,400 of these employees were armed, making this new department the MOST MASSIVE ARMED department ever in the history of the government.
What was more alarming is that the new department operated with excessive secrecy. Excessive secrecy could be just as dangerous as a terrorist entering this country, so I set out on another journey to educate the American people about the practices in this new department.
I realized that unless some type of oversight was put into place, such as Citizen Review Boards, Independent Panels or Commissions --that my co-workers would eventually go back to their old ways of “singling out” or “targeting” certain international travelers and Department of Homeland Security employees who were speaking out against any and all types of injustices.
This book will make you aware of the extent of racial and sexual profiling—the blatant mismanagement, abuses of authority, prohibited personnel practices, corruption, nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, and other unethical practices carried out by federal law enforcement officials, what is being done to combat it, and how current attempts at reforms and legislation don’t go far enough.
I will continue to fight for the rights of international travelers passing through U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the rights of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees themselves. This is a fight none of us can afford to lose!
Cathy Harris
Cathy Harris is an Empowerment and Motivational Speaker, Health and Wellness Expert, Business Coach and the self-help author of 18 books. She is an expert on many different topics including health, business, writing/publishing, workplace discrimination, whistleblowing, law enforcement, domestic and international traveling, politics, community relations, family empowerment, and media. Her books and articles are full of content-rich material to help anyone get back into the driver’s seat.
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The Failure of Homeland In-Security - Cathy Harris
OTHER BOOKS BY CATHY HARRIS
The Cathy Harris Story
Flying While Black
Police Interactions 101
Domestic and International Traveler’s Survival Guide
Recession Survival Guide
Workplace Survival Guide
Discrimination 101 (Volume I & Volume II)
How To Write A Book
My Hair, My Crown, My Glory
Politics 101
Cancer Cures
A Woman’s Guide to Buying a New or Used Vehicle (Part I & II)
A Self-Help Guide to Empowering Your Family and the Entire Community (Series 1)
A Self-Help Guide to Starting Your Own Business (Series 2)
A Self-Help Guide to Becoming Healthier Over the Next 30 Days (Series 3)
THE FAILURE OF HOMELAND IN-SECURITY:
The Government’s Dirty Little Secrets from an Insider
by
Cathy Harris
SMASHWORDS EDITION
PUBLISHED BY:
Angels Press on Smashwords
Angels Press
P.O. Box 5288
Atlanta, GA 31107
http://www.AngelsPress.com
info@AngelsPress.com
The Failure of Homeland In-Security: The Government’s Dirty Little Secrets from an Insider Copyright 2012 by Cathy Harris
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
Smashwords Edition License Notes:
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Dedication
Preface
Disclaimer
CHAPTER 1: The Creation Of The Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
The Most Massive Armed Agency Ever in the History of the Government
The Problems with the Merger
CHAPTER 2: Prejudicial Enforcement
A Whistleblower’s Journey – TheCathyHarrisStory.com
Racial Profiling: Customs’ Unwritten Rules
Media Exposes Customs’ Atrocities
A Tidal Wave of Lawsuits
CHAPTER 3: Fighting Back: Rights and Resources
Responses from National Leaders
Strategies to Prevent Racial Profiling
CHAPTER 4: New Legislation and Reforms
Bills to Protect International Travelers
Changes in Customs’ Passenger Processing
CHAPTER 5: Staying On Track: Where Do We Go From Here?
Appendices
Appendix A: Attorney Ed Fox’s Testimony (Chicago Class-Action Attorney)
Appendix B: June 2000 Independent Panel Report Findings
Appendix C: What Will Happen When You Return to the United States?
Acknowledgements
Reader Comments
About the Author
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my two lovely daughters who are business owners and future leaders of America. Both of you have made me very, very proud. Keep moving forward!
It is also dedicated to other trailblazers seeking a better world. Always have the courage to stand up for your beliefs and remember that the truth
is still the most powerful political weapon on this planet.
PREFACE – NOTE TO THE READER
The insider mentioned in the subtitle of this book is me, federal whistleblower Cathy Harris. I wrote this book to inspire and encourage other trailblazers facing crossroads in their lives to listen to their hearts. Do what’s right! Stand up for justice! Not only will others’ lives be enriched, so will your own.
My fight with U.S. Customs was long, hard, and fierce but I was sent angels. I was sent angels in the form of Whistleblower attorneys, EEO attorneys, legislators, media entities, civil rights leaders, community activists and advocates.
I remembered what my parents instilled in me about being respectful, doing the right thing, and telling the truth. Knowing my life would change forever and realizing my decision would affect my family, impact my livelihood, and derail my career, I was willing to risk it all to make a difference.
I could no longer sit idly by watching atrocities and injustices being committed against international travelers especially against women. I knew it was time to make a stand.
In October 1998, I made a life-altering decision. I became a Federal Whistleblower (truth-teller).
Americans love to travel abroad. Whether an experienced world traveler or preparing for a first trip aboard, all travelers love to venture beyond the boundaries of the United States. They enter into a world of passports, visas, consulates, foreign currency, immunizations, Customs, and importing areas about which most travelers have little knowledge or experience.
Picture This: You’ve worked hard and decide to reward yourself with a trip to a sunny destination beyond America’s shores. At the end of your wonderful vacation, you board the plane for your return trip home. You arrive at the airport, but instead of making your way quickly and routinely through U.S. Customs, you find yourself being subjected to an abusive pat-down, intrusive strip-search, x-rayed, probed internally, fed a laxative, and handcuffed to a hospital bed for up to 4 days in a search for contraband. If you are African American, especially an African-American female, this scenario, it turns out, is all too likely.
Article 5 of the Declaration of Human Rights states that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 13 of the Declaration of Human Rights states that everyone has the right to leave this country, including his own, and to return to his country.
After witnessing first hand a type of denigration against African-American travelers particularly women and successfully putting reforms in place to protect them, I realized something even more sinister was about to happen to the American people.
In March 2003, the Department of Homeland Security merged 22 federal agencies totaling over 180,000 employees. This included my agency, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Over 73,400 of these employees were armed, making this new department the MOST MASSIVE ARMED department ever in the history of the government.
What was more alarming is that the new department operated with excessive secrecy. Excessive secrecy could be just as dangerous as a terrorist entering this country, so I set out on another journey to educate the American people about the practices in this new department.
I realized that unless some type of oversight was put into place, such as Citizen Review Boards, Independent Panels or Commissions --that my co-workers would eventually go back to their old ways of singling out
or targeting
certain international travelers and Department of Homeland Security employees who were speaking out against any and all types of injustices.
This book will make you aware of the extent of racial and sexual profiling—the blatant mismanagement, abuses of authority, prohibited personnel practices, corruption, nepotism, cronyism, favoritism, and other unethical practices carried out by federal law enforcement officials, what is being done to combat it, and how current attempts at reforms and legislation don’t go far enough.
I will continue to fight for the rights of international travelers passing through U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as the rights of Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees themselves. This is a fight none of us can afford to lose!
WARNING - DISCLAIMER
The publisher/author has attempted to make this book as complete and accurate as possible. However, with a subject as broad as international travel, specific situations and details can change quickly. Therefore, this book should be used only as a general guide and not as the ultimate source of information.
Readers should always seek out other information sources to confirm the material in this text before planning or engaging in international travel. The publisher/author shall have no liability or responsibility to any person or entity for any damage, injury, or loss resulting from any information or advice contained in this book.
In this book -- U.S. Customs Service (USCS) (the old Customs Service under the Department of the Treasury) became the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (http://www.CBP.gov) under the Department of Homeland Security in (http://www.DHS.gov) in 2003 -- so the names are interchangeable.
CHAPTER 1: THE CREATION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS)
The Most Massive Armed Agency Ever in the History of the Government
The Homeland Security Act was passed in 2002 because of the unfortunate events that occurred on September 11, 2001. One year later, on March 1, 2003, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) (http://www.DHS.gov ) was created.
This department merged 22 federal agencies totaling over 180,000 employees, making this new agency the MOST MASSIVE ARMED AGENCY ever in the history of the government. The merger into a single department was the largest reorganization of the federal government since the Defense Department was created in 1947.
The United States Customs Service, newly named Customs and Border Protection (CBP) (http://www.CBP.gov), officially became part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and moved into two bureaus:
• One bureau, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP), combined all inspectional functions of the U.S. Customs Service (USCS), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), INS, and Border Patrol. It included roughly 30,000 employees.
• The second bureau, Bureau of Customs and Border Protection and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), included the criminal investigation elements of Customs, INS, and the Federal Protective Service. It was comprised of approximately 14,000 workers.
Given the scope, magnitude, and importance of the CBP mission, coupled with the size of our professional law enforcement workforce, CBP employees represented 25% of the Department of Homeland Security workforce.
The Department of Homeland Security was initially comprised of the Department of Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) (20,000 armed federal agents); the Customs Service (13,000); the United States Secret Service (3,300); the Coast Guard (36,000 employees who act in a law enforcement capacity); and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) (1,400)