US Customs Open?

[septrack]

Anyone know if customs is considered an essential service should the government shut down tonight?

[toberman]

Anyone know if customs is considered an essential service should the government shut down tonight?

 

Yes it is.

[98Charlie]

Ha! I can just imagine what the luggage area would look like if customs was closed:eek:

 

Yes, ATC, TSA, and CBP are all considered essential. (So is congress....not sure about that one though:p)

 

Charlie

[Northender]

Ha! I can just imagine what the luggage area would look like if customs was closed:eek:

 

Yes, ATC, TSA, and CBP are all considered essential. (So is congress....not sure about that one though:p)

 

Charlie

 

And US Embassies and Missions for Americans who are travelling overseas.

.:)

[tothemall&beyond]

If the shutdown occurs (as looks likely), customs workers and other essential workers will be on the job, but some of them without pay until the gov't pay s-open to issue the checks. Others, along with all "non-essential" employees (including my GS-13 level husband) won't get paid for the period of the shutdown unless and until Congress specifically authorizes retroactive pay. With this insane Congress, federal employees are very worried that might not ever happen.

[kylea_s]

However, the passport renewal offices will be closed. Don't send your almost too old passport off for renewal til the thing is settled.

[Treven]

However, the passport renewal offices will be closed. ...

This is what I'd read as well.

[DebJ14]

However, the passport renewal offices will be closed. Don't send your almost too old passport off for renewal til the thing is settled.

 

I read the exact opposite in the Houston Chronicle today. They said that since the passport offices are funded by the fees we pay that they would be open.

 

The problem with Customs and the TSA is that when there is a gov't shutdown they won't pay any overtime and are often short staffed. However, this has been going on since the sequestration started so it should not be much different. We got off the Carnival Freedom in Fort Lauderdale in May to find only 2 customs agents to clear the entire ship.

[Sunviking]

I read the exact opposite in the Houston Chronicle today. They said that since the passport offices are funded by the fees we pay that they would be open.

 

The problem with Customs and the TSA is that when there is a gov't shutdown they won't pay any overtime and are often short staffed. However, this has been going on since the sequestration started so it should not be much different. We got off the Carnival Freedom in Fort Lauderdale in May to find only 2 customs agents to clear the entire ship.

 

That happened to us a few times well before the sequestration and definitely not during a shutdown. I can remember coming back on a Coral Princess Panama Canal cruise with our DD arriving on Easter Sunday. Initially there were only 2 Customs people there. By 10 AM or so there were two more. We didn't have a problem but it taught me to never book an early flight out of FLL