U.S. Border Patrol Debuts New $14M Detroit Station

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A new $14 million U.S. Customs and Border Protection station opens today on East Jefferson Avenue in Detroit. The facility is 12 times larger than the previous station and will accommodate nearly 100 agents.

“This building sits as a symbol of 91 years of Border Patrol tradition and a symbol of the resurgence of Detroit,” says Agent R. Alan Booth, acting chief patrol for the Detroit Border Patrol Station.

Booth says the 42,500 square foot building, located at 11700 East Jefferson Ave., sits on 11 acres. The previous 5,200 square foot station, at 1331 Atwater St., had been in service since 1996 and was designed for nine agents.

Construction on the new station began in 2013. It features more than 23,000 square feet of office space, a 3,000 square foot processing area, a gym and locker room, a muster room, a wet gear/bulk storage area, a short-term kennel that can hold up to three canines, and a 8,100 square foot helipad.

The Detroit branch of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is responsible for 863 miles of domestic and international waterways (the latter in partnership with Canada), including Lake Superior, Huron, Michigan, and Erie, along with Lake St. Clair, and the Detroit, St. Clair, and St. Mary’s Rivers.