Customs and Border Protection Officers

Investigate and inspect persons, common carriers, goods, and merchandise, arriving in or departing from the United States or between states to detect violations of immigration and customs laws and regulations.

The occupation of "Customs and Border Protection Officers" has an automation risk of 35.9%, which is closely aligned with the base risk of 36.4%. This means that while a significant portion of routine tasks within this role can potentially be automated, a considerable share of duties still require human oversight and judgment. The automation risk is influenced by the presence of tasks that are process-driven and susceptible to technological solutions, balanced by others that remain dependent on human skills and complex decision-making. Thus, the risk level indicates partial but not complete replacement by automation in the near future. Among the most automatable tasks for Customs and Border Protection Officers are activities such as examining immigration applications, visas, and passports and interviewing individuals to determine their eligibility for admission or travel in the U.S. Additionally, detaining persons found to be in violation of customs or immigration laws and arranging for legal action, such as deportation, is also automatable given the advancements in surveillance, identification, and case management technologies. Inspecting cargo, baggage, and personal articles for compliance with revenue laws and customs regulations can also be increasingly handled by sophisticated scanning, detection devices, and automated reporting systems. These tasks are largely structured and repetitive, making them prime targets for automation. Conversely, the most automation-resistant tasks involve significant discretionary judgment, expertise, or situational adaptation. Investigating applications for duty refunds or petitions for remission or mitigation of penalties requires a nuanced understanding of context, regulations, and individual circumstances, which are difficult for AI to replicate fully. Collecting samples of merchandise for examination, appraisal, or testing often requires physical interaction, careful scrutiny, and judgment, making automation less practical. Similarly, determining the duty and taxes to be paid on goods involves expertise in classification and valuation that can be complex and variable. Bottleneck skills such as originality, with importance levels at 2.6% and 2.4%, play a key role in resisting automation, as they rely on creative and adaptive human reasoning that technology currently struggles to replicate.