HR 195 · 119th CongressIn Committee

CBP Relocation Act

Latest updateJan 3, 2025

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.

Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor

Keith Self

Introduced

January 3, 2025

Latest action

January 3, 2025

Legislative Progress

How far this bill has traveled through Congress

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Introduced

Bill filed in chamber

Committee

Reviewed & reported

Passed Chamber

House or Senate vote

Passed Both

House & Senate agree

President

Sent to White House

Enacted

Signed into law

Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Accountability.

Plain-Language Summary

AI Generated

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) currently maintains its headquarters in Washington, D.C., where it has operated as the primary federal agency responsible for border security, trade enforcement, and immigration enforcement. The agency's leadership and administrative functions are based in the nation's capital, separate from the southern border region where much of CBP's operational activity occurs. This geographic distance between headquarters and field operations has prompted questions about whether the agency's command structure is optimally positioned to respond to border-related emergencies and crises.

The bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the CBP Commissioner, to relocate the entire CBP headquarters to Texas by January 1, 2026. The relocation must include all functions, personnel, and real assets currently housed at the Washington headquarters. The Secretary may acquire land in Texas through written contracts and must work with the Texas General Land Office Commissioner to ensure the new headquarters location is strategically positioned to handle border crises. Any land acquired must meet the Attorney General's title approval standards for federal property acquisitions.

The Secretary has approximately one year to execute this relocation, which will require identifying a suitable Texas location, acquiring or securing property, transferring personnel and operations, and establishing new administrative infrastructure. The bill does not specify a funding source, suggesting relocation costs would come from existing CBP or Department of Homeland Security appropriations. The move would fundamentally alter the agency's organizational structure, potentially affecting how quickly leadership can respond to border emergencies and changing the geographic center of federal immigration and trade enforcement operations.

Key Provisions

1Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to relocate U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters from Washington, D.C. to Texas by January 1, 2026, including all functions, personnel, and real assets.
2Authorizes the Secretary to acquire land in Texas through written contracts to house the relocated headquarters, subject to Attorney General title approval standards.
3Requires the relocated headquarters to be strategically positioned with respect to handling a crisis at the United States-Mexico border.
4Mandates collaboration between the CBP Commissioner and the Texas General Land Office Commissioner to ensure the relocation requirement is satisfied.

★ Why this matters

The headquarters relocation would move the command center for the nation's primary border security agency from Washington, D.C. to the U.S.-Mexico border region. This could accelerate decision-making during border emergencies by placing senior leadership closer to operational areas. The move would also shift federal administrative employment and spending from the capital to Texas, affecting local economies and government operations in both locations. Implementation requires identifying suitable property, transferring thousands of employees, and establishing new facilities within roughly one year.

● Who this affects

CBP employees and their families, particularly those currently stationed in Washington, D.C. who would need to relocate or find new employment; Texas communities and local governments where the new headquarters would be established; the Department of Homeland Security, which must manage the logistical and financial aspects of the relocation; border communities in Texas that may see increased federal presence; and federal contractors involved in real estate acquisition and facility management.

Bill Text

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<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 195

 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to relocate to the State 
 of Texas the headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and 
                          for other purposes.

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 3, 2025

   Mr. Self introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

                                 A BILL

 
 To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to relocate to the State 
 of Texas the headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and 
                          for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``U.S. Customs and Border Protection 
Relocation Act'' or the ``CBP Relocation Act''.

SEC. 2. RELOCATION OF THE HEADQUARTERS OF U.S. CUSTOMS AND BORDER 
              PROTECTION.

    (a) In General.--Not later than January 1, 2026, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security, acting through the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and 
Border Protection, shall relocate to the State of Texas the 
headquarters of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, including the 
functions, personnel, and real assets of such headquarters.
    (b) Duties and Powers.--In carrying out the relocation described in 
subsection (a), the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting through the 
Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection--
            (1) shall collaborate with the Commissioner of the General 
        Land Office of the State of Texas to ensure that the 
        requirement described in subsection (c) is satisfied; and
            (2) may acquire any right, title, or interest in or to land 
        in the State of Texas through a written contract that is signed 
        by the Secretary and the individual who is authorized to convey 
        such right, title, or interest, as the case may be.
    (c) Headquarters Requirement.--The relocation described in 
subsection (a) shall be strategically placed with respect to handling a 
crisis at the border between the United States and Mexico.
    (d) Land Title.--Any title to land conveyed to the Secretary of 
Homeland Security in carrying out the relocation described in 
subsection (a) shall conform to the title approval standards of the 
Attorney General that are applicable to land acquisitions by the 
Federal Government.
                                 <all>

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D-North Carolina · District 12

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CBP Relocation Act

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CBP Relocation Act

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