[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 160 (Tuesday, October 8, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1265]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                HONORING PUBLIC SERVANT DAVID HIGGERSON

                                  _____
                                 

                           HON. FILEMON VELA

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, October 8, 2019

  Mr. VELA. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor David P. Higgerson on 
his retirement from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), 
Laredo Field Office.
  As Director of Field Operations (DFO) at the Laredo office, Director 
Higgerson was responsible for enforcement activities at eight 
international Ports of Entry (POEs), extending from Brownsville to Del 
Rio, and the Machinery Center for Excellence and Expertise. The eight 
POEs include 21 vehicle crossings, eight airports, three rail 
crossings, and one seaport. These crossings are some of the nation's 
busiest, and Mr. Higgerson's organization safely processed nearly 59.4 
million people, more than 21 million vehicles, over 3.5 million 
commercial trucks, and an excess of $194 billion in international trade 
in Fiscal Year 2018. He also served in the Joint Task Force-West, which 
disrupts transnational criminal organizations from operating in South 
Texas.
  Director Higgerson is a proven leader in the community who leads by 
example. In 2018, he was awarded the Secretary's Meritorious Service 
Silver Medal for his leadership and service to the Department of 
Homeland Security. He also earned the Commissioner's Strategic Problem 
Solving Award for the South Texas Railroad Strategic Problem Solving 
Initiative, and Assistant Commissioner recognition for his outstanding 
contribution to the Land Border Directive Working Group.
  Mr. Higgerson is a graduate of the St. John Military Academy and 
holds an Associate's Degree in Accounting. After honorably serving in 
the U.S. Army, he was Customs Inspector at the Panama Canal Zone and 
was then transferred to Laredo, Texas in 1978. He was also Port 
Director in Hidalgo-Pharr, Texas, and DFO in El Paso, Texas and Tucson, 
Arizona.
  It has been an honor to work with Director Higgerson for the past 
seven years. I thank him for his service in keeping our borders safe, 
while also taking care of our officers on the front line. As we 
celebrate David P. Higgerson's retirement, I ask my colleagues to join 
his family, our community, and me in recognizing his legacy and wishing 
him a happy retirement.