Since January 20, we have taken steps on all fronts to advance the Department’s mission to protect Americans from the myriad threats the nation faces. We are moving forward in each of the five major mission areas that I see as critical to achieving the Department’s security mission: guarding against terrorism; securing the border; enforcing our immigration laws in a tough, smart and effective manner; improving our preparedness for, response to, and recovery from natural disasters; and unifying the Department so it can become more cohesive and effective.In the past several months, DHS has announced new protocols to ensure smart, effective enforcement of our immigration laws, ramped up our efforts on the southwest border to prevent the weapons and cash smuggling that feeds cartel violence in Mexico, signed new agreements with international allies to combat terrorism, and responded effectively to severe ice storms in the Midwest and record flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota. Currently, we are working with federal partners and across levels of government to actively respond to the threat of the current outbreak of the 2009 H1N1 virus.
