Security Debrief

Can we achieve security and prosperity at the same time?

August 31, 2011

The problem with an over-politicized environment in Washington is that we’ve lost the ability to build consensus and find common ground, even with people who hold views contrary to our own. The Center for Immigration Studies, with whom we business immigration lawyers usually disagree on immigration policy, published a paper this week entitled “Border Watchlisting a Decade after 9/11.” Among the proposals is to expand the “Electronic System for Travel Authorization.” We have to give credit where credit is due. Though we would love to disagree with CIS on issues in the future, CIS is right in that our screening needs to be more than a perfunctory exercise.

Avoiding the Costly Mistake of Asking for Too Much Information

Security Debrief |

August 29, 2011

As the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks approaches, those of us who practice immigration law, in particular business immigration law, have seen substantial shifts in immigration enforcement at the worksite. Reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities have sensitized employers to the need for strict employment eligibility verification. However, the employers often forget about another side to their compliance obligations – that of avoiding immigration-related unfair employment practices.

Virginia, DC Struck with 5.8 Earthquake

Security Debrief |

August 23, 2011

Shortly before 2 PM a 5.8 earthquake hit Mineral, Virginia, affecting Washington, DC, Maryland and the Eastern seaboard.

Images That Don't Fade – Ten Years After the 9/11 Attacks

Security Debrief |

August 23, 2011

In this great country, most days begin and end just like most other days, so it is hard to distinguish what we did or where we were at any given moment. However, there are those days and moments that we remember exactly where we were and what we were doing. I remember the vivid images of planes hitting the World Trade Center ten years ago. To me, they are so vivid it feels like they were only yesterday. It is hard to believe how quickly our nation has adapted and how much we have changed in a relatively short period of time. Goes to show what America can do, even in times of adversity.

A Security, Tourism and Trade Package for U.S. Allies

Security Debrief |

August 23, 2011

The 10th anniversary of 9/11 will bring many retrospectives. But DHS should not lose sight of current programs and policies and the current political context. That means focusing on security measures that simultaneously bolster the economy. DHS has plenty of opportunities to do both. Here is a “security, tourism and trade” package that can be offered to U.S. allies to: (1) strengthen mutual security efforts; (2) bolster the economy by increasing tourism and trade; and (3) grow alliances with new and old global partners.

10 Years On – Pausing to Remember 9/11

Security Debrief |

August 10, 2011

As the 10-year mark since the attacks of September 11 approaches, the images I saw from my house across the Hudson River are still fresh in my mind. It was a defining moment for our country. The event took friends from us too soon, changed our ideas of safety, changed our understanding of the vulnerabilities in our systems, and had a profound impact on all of us, both as individuals and as a country. As we approach the 10-year commemorative, we pause to reflect the journey 10 years on.

Why We Need to Revamp How We Protect Our Rail System

Security Debrief |

August 8, 2011

A new report from the DHS Office of the Inspector General is a reminder of our rail system’s vulnerability to attack. While the report criticizes DHS’s oversight of rail security spending, the more important issue is that our rail and mass transportation systems continue to remain vulnerable. Globally, there are about 90 terrorist attacks per month on surface transport, with a third of those targets being trains.

Extortion Through Terror – Fake Bomb in Sydney Reveals Real Threat

Security Debrief |

August 4, 2011

The elaborate extortion bomb hoax in Sydney is an active reminder that extortion and kidnap for ransom are very real threats. This threat is real, not only in Australia but globally. Extortion through terror is often dismissed as some form of Latin American phenomenon, but that simply isn’t true. If something can be imagined, it can be done.

Federal Court Requires Additional Public Explanations for TSA's Advanced Imaging Technology

Security Debrief |

August 3, 2011

By Rob Strayer
The decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals in a lawsuit challenging the Transportation Security Administration’s use of Advanced Imaging Technology machines is that they do not constitute an unreasonable search under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. What is significant is the D.C. Circuit’s holding that TSA failed to provide notice and solicit public comments on a new rule that passengers undergo a mandatory whole body scan or a pat down. The court’s decision will have potentially far ranging effects on the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies that seek to implement new security measures.

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