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A New CBP Commissioner: What Took So Long?

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September 24, 2009

Why did it take so long for the Obama Administration to name a chief for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, one of the nation’s premiere federal law enforcement agencies? One reason might be that the initial appointment of a “Border Czar” in the DHS Policy shop diminished the power of the CBP Commissioner to do his or her job. Another might be worries about the Administration’s commitment to immigration enforcement. No one wants to volunteer for failure.

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Citizen Soldiers and Homeland Security

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September 21, 2009

The Virginia Military Institute hosted a conference on the role of the National Guard and Reserves in homeland security. Lots of great discussion, but I guess my biggest take-way is how little has changed since 9/11; how much there is left to be done; and how little momentum there is get where we need to be.

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Mexico’s Risky Drug Decriminalization Sends the Wrong Message

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September 15, 2009

Mexico recently took a dramatic step in the war on drugs, decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine and heroin. In the midst of battling the drug cartels that grow fat on the profits of drug abuse and addiction, not to mention all of the violent crime that accompanies drug trafficking, the Mexican Government has sent a clear message. Unfortunately, it’s the wrong message. It is the message of surrender.

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Washington Ready for Swine Flu

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September 14, 2009

The federal government should be in good enough shape to get through a really bad flu season. Here is why. While H1N1 is more contagious than other strains of seasonal flu we have seen in recent years, it actually appears to be less lethal. If more folks die from medical complications due to flu (on average 36,000 die each year), it will be because more folks get sick. Washington should be able to handle the extra stress (that is the conclusion of a recent research study by the Heritage Foundation).

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TSA's mission is both prevention and resiliency

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September 11, 2009

9/11 is the motivation for the people on the front lines in our nation’s airports and to this day the agency’s mission is to prevent such an attack from ever happening again. The focus of the agency is to protect the transportation network and prevent another act of terror. It is also about the resiliency of the transportation network so that if something happens in air, transit, or rail, that the system is not crippled.

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The Credibility Gap and WHTI

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September 10, 2009

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), cross border traffic is down 12.5% over the last year. An article in yesterday’s USAToday argued that the implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) – which requires U.S. citizens as well as Canadian and Bermudans to possess a passport or similar document when entering the country – is responsible for the bulk of the decrease.

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Remember What 9/11 is Really About

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September 8, 2009

There was news yesterday of three convictions in the plot to blow-up international flights bound for the United States. The trial is a cogent reminder that the transnational terrorists are still out there. They are trying to kill us. We need to stop them.

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Immigration—In Case you are Wondering, Nobody Asked

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August 24, 2009

By doing little more than holding a cheerleading session for a failed approach to immigration reform, the White House has done little to engage the American people in discussing real and honest solutions. Instead, they have only further polarized an already divisive issue.

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Mexico Continues Border War

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August 20, 2009

In what has been a lightly reported story this past week – but one for which it is impossible to overstate the importance of – President Felipe Calderon terminated 1000 customs officials (700 in some reports) from their positions as inspectors at ports of entry throughout the country. This is another indication of the dedicated and serious manner in which President Calderon has continued to wage war with the drug cartels that exploit the border for their own illegitimate purposes.

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