Security Debrief

Immigration Meeting: Amnesty Is the Wrong Agenda

By Jena Baker McNeill

Yesterday, the Obama Administration hosted a closed-door conference on immigration reform. All too often “comprehensive immigration reform” has been another name for amnesty. A more appropriate agenda would focus on efforts to stop illegal immigration and secure the border, reform the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and open up more legal avenues by which to allow individuals to come into the United States.

TSA: New Millimeter Wave Technology

Recently, I spoke with Francis Rose on Federal News Radio’s In Depth With Francis Rose, to discuss TSA’s new use of millimeter wave technology for the American rail system. Millimeter wave technology is a creative solution to keeping people safe with little to no distruption to travelers.

Registered Traveler – An Idea Before Its Time?

TSA initially supported Registered Traveler during the Tom Ridge era at DHS, as a method to target security resources on less-known travelers and to enable low-risk frequent travelers a consistent and fast security review. However, TSA washed its hands of RT in 2008, arguing it could never ensure that an unknown “clean skin” terrorist could exploit any security protocol change, leaving Registered Traveler as only a fast-lane program.

Interagency Agreement Signals Progress in the "War on Drugs"

In retirement, I can still refer to “The War on Drugs” as “The War on Drugs,” a phrase not popular with the current administration. Despite what you want to call it, this administration made progress last week in narcotics enforcement when an inter-agency agreement was signed between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security to substantially increase the number of ICE Special Agents with Title 21 authority.

Court Upholds CA Sanctuary Policy

ImmigrationProf Blog: Court Upholds CA Sanctuary Policy The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California applauded the decision of a California appeals court to uphold a Los Angeles Police Department rule barring cops from inquiring about the immigration status of a person they have detained, in most cases.

Mixed Reactions to Sen. Schumer’s Worker ID Cards Idea

Immigrant Daily » Blog Archive » Mixed Reactions to Sen. Schumer’s Worker ID Cards Idea Although, the idea of a worker ID card is embraced by some business and community organizations but it has touched off fears among some labor activists and the ACLU about civil rights violations and a “big brother” intrusion into private […]

What must Pittsburgh learn from Tehran

Tehran is currently running a master class in how not to manage a disaffected crowd; Pittsburgh would do well to learn from Tehran’s mistakes. Many will reject this, on the grounds that law enforcement in the West would never treat a crowd as the Iranian security forces, and particularly the baseej, have done. However, the indiscriminate use of force by police officers at incidents like the most recent RNC, the Poll Tax Riots in London or during the incident in Boston that cost Victoria Snedgrove her life, would suggest otherwise.

Twitter & YouTube's role in revolution — Peggy Noonan

Whose Side Are We On? You Have to Ask? – WSJ.com Some ask if the impact of the new technology is exaggerated. No. Twittering and YouTubing made the story take hold and take off. But did the technology create the rebellion? No, it encouraged what was there. If they Twittered and liveblogged the French Revolution, […]

DHS denies FOIA requests related to "right wing" report

Homeland Security Today – preparedness and security news – DHS Records on Right-Wing Report Denied Under FOIA Indicate Civil Rights Issues 734 pages related to civil rights office objections declared exempt Descriptions of some of these documents that DHS deemed exempt from public disclosure under the FOIA imply that concerns that were raised by the […]

Privacy coalition protests body scanners at airports

Privacy coalition protests body scanners as airports test them as primary screening – St. Petersburg Times An eclectic alliance of more than 40 organizations — from the Nation Rifle Association and Eagle Forum to the Transgender Law Center and the American Civil Liberties Union — wants regulations that guarantee privacy rights and assure that travelers […]