Breaking News: Assistant Secretary Julie Myers Announces Resignation
Assistant Secretary Julie Myers has announced that she will step down as head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Nov. 15.
Tactical Realities Must Drive Law Enforcement Cross-Border Engagements
The pressures on the Southern Border continue to grow, with South Texas authorities announcing a willingness to permit cross border engagements by the members of local law enforcement. The Southern Border is rapidly becoming the Third Front for the United States, with officers regularly being challenged or engaged in cross-border exchanges of gunfire. There are a number of reasons why local law enforcement officers shouldn’t engage in this kind of activity; the two most compelling are the risk of escalating the situation and the need to respect international boundaries.
A Review of The Closing of the American Border, by Edward Alden
“The Closing of the American Border” is a superb text for policy makers who must wrestle with the challenges of border security and immigration policy.
Laptop Searches: Another National Security Tool Out of the Toolbox
Another national security tool appears on the verge of taking a hit this
week. A tool that has been effective despite its rare use.
Sec. Chertoff Provides Realistic Take on 100% Scanning
House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson has finally gotten an answer to his question about DHS’s approach to cargo screening mandates. And while he probably won’t like it, DHS has it right – and Congress, and both presidential campaigns, should pay attention to what Secretary Chertoff wrote.
Israel On Board
The United States is considering admitting Israel into the Visa Waiver Program, announces a recent news article. Interior Minister Meir Sheetrit stated the reasoning behind this consideration when he said, “It is absurd that the U.S. requires Israelis to have visas, when Americans are exempt from the need for a visa to Israel, and in many states around the world Israelis enter without visas,” Both Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Under Secretary of State William Burns are in agreement regarding this step toward Israel.
Thompson-led Coalition Should Rethink 100% Scanning Mandate
I see from yesterday morning’s press reports that House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson has written another letter to DHS asking about the status of the cargo screening mandate Congress has shoved down the throat of the aviation and maritime industries.
Now is not the time to cut funding for US VISIT
The House of Representatives has voted to cut funding for the exit program of the US VISIT, the nation’s first biometric-based system designed to maintain a record of foreign travelers who enter our country, and whether or not they leave when they are supposed to. Congress is short-sighted in not funding this critical homeland security program appropriately.
Closing of the American Border
There haven’t been many “insider” books about how DHS has functioned but a good one has appeared. The Closing of the American Border was published last week by Edward Alden of the Council on Foreign Relations and formerly with the Financial Times. It’s a detailed look at the policies and programs deployed after 9/11 to deter and detect terrorists hoping to use our transportation systems against us.
E-Verify and new technologies will force Congress and the country to deal with illegal immigration
While there may be no legislative resolution to the thorny issue of illegal immigration this year, the next President and next DHS Secretary will have no choice. Technology is forcing the country to recognize the reality of illegal employment, and E-Verify is just one part of that new reality.
