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Washington D.C. — The leader of the union representing thousands of Customs and Border Protection Officers today took sharp issue with a White House Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) claiming that such workers are not engaged in law enforcement efforts.

“That is a mistaken assertion,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents more than 14,000 employees in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The White House position was contained in a statement threatening to veto H.R. 1684, the DHS fiscal 2008 authorization bill because, among other reasons, it contains a provision that would repeal personnel flexibilities given to DHS in the Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002. The House approved the bill yesterday by a veto-proof margin of 296 to 126.

The SAP also took aim at language in H.R. 1684 that would grant law enforcement officer (LEO) status to CBP Officers, extending to them an option for early retirement.

The administration claimed that CBPOs do not meet the definition of law enforcement officer.

An angry President Kelley brushed aside the White House arguments. “In their daily work, CBP Officers risk their lives protecting our country,” she said. “They are armed and trained in the use of firearms; they perform critically-important security duties at the nation’s air, land and sea ports; they have arrest authority; and they are all too often called upon to defend themselves against terrorists, drug smugglers and other criminals.”

Kelley added that “this veto threat shows that this administration is willing to put its animosity toward fair treatment for workers over the interest of national security.”

CBP Officers often face dangerous situations when apprehending drug smugglers, terrorists, felons or others seeking to enter the country illegally. In recent years, at least four incidents have occurred at border crossings in which CBP Officers were forced to use their weapons.

And the Government Accountability Office issued a report last year concerning the federal law enforcement community and identified CBP as having more employees engaged in law enforcement activity than any other federal agency, with the exception of the Bureau of Prisons.

“The continued denial of LEO status for these deserving officers is nothing less than an outrage,” President Kelley said. “I can assure this White House that NTEU will not give up our battle to right this wrong.”

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.