6 U.S.C. § 240 Border Enforcement Security Task Force

• Library: United States Statutes
• Edition: 2023 Edition
• Currency: Current through P.L. 118-19 (published on www.congress.gov on 10/06/2023)

(a) Establishment

There is established within the Department a program to be known as the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (referred to in this section as "BEST").

(b) Purpose

The purpose of BEST is to establish units to enhance border security by addressing and reducing border security threats and violence by-

(1) facilitating collaboration among Federal, State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement agencies to execute coordinated activities in furtherance of border security, and homeland security; and

(2) enhancing information-sharing, including the dissemination of homeland security information among such agencies.

(c) Composition and establishment of units

(1) Composition

BEST units may be comprised of personnel from-

(A) U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement;

(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection;

(C) the United States Coast Guard;

(D) other Department personnel, as appropriate ¹

(E) other Federal agencies, as appropriate;

(F) appropriate State law enforcement agencies;

(G) foreign law enforcement agencies, as appropriate;

(H) local law enforcement agencies from affected border cities and communities; and

(I) appropriate tribal law enforcement agencies.

(2) Establishment of units

The Secretary is authorized to establish BEST units in jurisdictions in which such units can contribute to BEST missions, as appropriate. Before establishing a BEST unit, the Secretary shall consider-

(A) whether the area in which the BEST unit would be established is significantly impacted by cross-border threats;

(B) the availability of Federal, State, local, tribal, and foreign law enforcement resources to participate in the BEST unit;

(C) the extent to which border security threats are having a significant harmful impact in the jurisdiction in which the BEST unit is to be established, and other jurisdictions in the country; and

(D) whether or not an Integrated Border Enforcement Team already exists in the area in which the BEST unit would be established.

(3) Duplication of efforts

In determining whether to establish a new BEST unit or to expand an existing BEST unit in a given jurisdiction, the Secretary shall ensure that the BEST unit under consideration does not duplicate the efforts of other existing interagency task forces or centers within that jurisdiction.

(d) Operation

After determining the jurisdictions in which to establish BEST units under subsection (c)(2), and in order to provide Federal assistance to such jurisdictions, the Secretary may-