Border Enforcement Accountability, Oversight, and Community Engagement Act of 2017

Border Enforcement Accountability, Oversight, and Community Engagement Act of 2017

This bill establishes: (1) the Department of Homeland Security Border Oversight Commission, and (2) a northern border subcommittee and a southern border subcommittee within the commission.

The commission and the subcommittees shall: (1) recommend border enforcement policy improvements; (2) evaluate policies of federal agencies operating along the borders to protect due process and human rights of border residents and visitors, protect land owner private property rights, and reduce the number of migrant deaths; (3) recommend safety improvements for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel; and (4) evaluate training and the extent to which CBP supervisory and management personnel practices encourage workforce development and promote field safety.

The Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended to rename the position of Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the Ombudsman for Border and Immigration Related Concerns. Related function and administrative provisions are revised, including requiring the ombudsman to establish a Border Community Liaison Office in each Border Patrol sector on the northern and southern borders.

The bill sets forth specified training and continuing education requirements for CBP personnel.

DHS shall submit to Congress an assessment of current guidelines for managing ports of entry under DHS control.

The bill requires: (1) the CBP to report to Congress regarding deaths occurring along the U.S.-Mexico border and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review such report; (2) the GAO to examine the extent to which the CBP has clarified use of force policies and DHS to require the CBP to implement any recommendations contained in such examination; and (3) the CBP to report to Congress on body camera use.