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Border Security: DHS Needs to Strengthen Its Efforts to Modernize Key Enforcement Systems, Statement of David A. Powner, Director, Information Technology Management Issues, Testimony Before the Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives

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"DHS's border enforcement system, known as TECS, is the primary system for determining admissibility of persons to the United States. It is used to prevent terrorism, and provide border security and law enforcement, case management, and intelligence functions for multiple federal, state, and local agencies. It has become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain and is unable to support new mission requirements. In 2008, DHS began an effort to modernize the system. It is being managed as two separate programs by CBP [Customs and Border Protection] and ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement]. In December 2013, GAO [Government Accountability Office] reported that DHS needed to strengthen its efforts to modernize these key enforcement systems. This statement summarizes that report. Specifically, it covers (1) the scope and status of the two TECS Mod programs, (2) selected program management practices for TECS Mod, (3) the extent to which DHS is executing effective oversight and governance of the two TECS Mod programs, and (4) the importance of addressing our recommendations for improving DHS's development efforts. […] GAO is making no new recommendations in this statement. In its December 2013 report, GAO recommended that DHS improve its efforts to manage requirements and risk, as well as its governance of the TECS Mod programs. DHS agreed with all but one of GAO's eight recommendations, disagreeing with the recommendation about improving CBP's master schedule. GAO continues to believe improvements are necessary to validate schedule commitments and monitor progress."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2014-02-06
Border Security: Additional Steps Needed to Ensure That Officers Are Fully Trained, Report to Congressional Requesters

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"Recent incidents involving potential terrorists attempting to enter the country highlight the need for a vigilant and well-trained workforce at the border. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), within the Department of Homeland Security, is the lead federal agency in charge of inspecting travelers and goods for admission into the United States. About 20,000 CBP officers play a central role in ensuring that CBP accomplishes its mission of securing the border while also facilitating the movement of millions of legitimate travelers and billions of dollars in international trade. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to assess the extent to which CBP has (1) revised its training program for newly hired CBP officers in accordance with training standards and (2) identified and addressed the training needs of incumbent CBP officers. GAO analyzed data and documentation related to the agency's training efforts, such as its covert test program and its training records. GAO also interviewed CBP officials and CBP officers. This is a public version of a sensitive report that GAO issued in October 2011. Information CBP deemed sensitive has been redacted."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2011-12
Drugs and Security in a Post-September 11 World: Coordinating the Counternarcotics Mission at the Department of Homeland Security, Joint Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources of the Committee on Government Reform, and the Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Border Security of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Second Session, July 22, 2004

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From the statement of Chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources Mark Souder: "Today's hearing addresses a vitally important topic for Congress and the Nation, the counternarcotics mission at the Department of Homeland Security. Specifically, we are here to discuss how well the Department is fulfilling its counternarcotics mission, what level of material and personnel support it is providing to anti-drug operations, and what steps it is taking to improve coordination and cooperation between its own counternarcotics agencies. […] The Department of Homeland Security is an absolutely crucial player in our efforts to reduce this terrible scourge. When Congress created the Department in 2002, it combined some of the most important anti-drug trafficking agencies in the Federal Government, including the U.S. Coast Guard, the Border Patrol, and the former Customs Service. Although there are certainly other Federal agencies with a vital role in our fight against drug trafficking, DHS is largely responsible for manning the 'front lines' in this mission. The Customs inspectors and Border Patrol agents at U.S. Customs and Border Protection [CBP]; the special agent investigators and the Air and Marine personnel at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE], and the Coast Guard personnel patrolling the waters, represent our Nation's first line of defense against the drug traffickers. To ensure that these agencies would not neglect their counternarcotics role in the new Department, Congress specifically provided that the primary mission of DHS included the responsibility to 'monitor connections between illegal drug trafficking and terrorism, coordinate efforts to sever such connections, and otherwise contribute to efforts to interdict illegal drug trafficking.'"

United States. Government Printing Office

2004-07-22
Transcript of House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Hearing on the Proposed Fiscal 2012 Appropriations for Southwest Border Enforcement

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"With the 5,500 miles of border with Canada, the 1,993 miles of border with Mexico and the 2,627 miles of shorelines securing the borders of the United States is a daunting task. Since its inception this subcommittee has closely examined security efforts and conditions along our borders particularly along the Southwest border. Our focus today is not merely to recite where we have been. We all -- we know well the significant resources and dramatic strives that have been made since 2003. Rather we want to talk about the goals for border security. We want to hear three things directly from you, the officers and agents who work on the frontlines. Number one, what's the current assessment of border security? Number two, when will the border be secure? What does that mean, what resources are needed. And number three, how do we measure progress for a secure and economically vibrant border?"

United States. Congress. House. Committee on Appropriations

2011-03-16
Northern Border Security: DHS's Report Could Better Inform Congress by Identifying Actions, Resources and Time Frames Needed to Address Vulnerabilities, Report to Congressional Committees

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"GAO recommends that the Secretary of Homeland Security provide more specific information in future reports on actions and resources needed to achieve northern border security, and in what time frame they are needed. DHS and CBP concurred with our recommendation. […] Covering nearly 4,000 miles of land and water from Washington to Maine, the U.S.-Canadian border is the longest undefended border in the world. Various Department of Homeland Security (DHS) component agencies share responsibility for northern border security, primarily U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in collaboration with other federal, state, local, tribal, and Canadian entities. The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Act of 2007 required the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit a report to Congress that addresses the vulnerabilities along the northern border, and provides recommendations and required resources to address them. The act also required GAO to review and comment on this report. In response to this mandate, GAO examined the extent to which the DHS report to Congress is responsive to the legislative requirements and actions that may be necessary to address northern border vulnerabilities in addition to the actions addressed in the report. To conduct this work, GAO reviewed DHS plans, reports, and other documents, and interviewed DHS officials."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2008-11
Serial No. 108-10: Balancing Security and Commerce: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Border Security of the Select Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session, June 16, 2003

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From the opening statement of Dave Camp: The Subcommittee on Infrastructure and Border Security will hear testimony from Robert Bonner, the Commissioner of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection within the Department of Homeland Security, and Rich Stana, the Director of the Homeland Security and Justice Division at GAO... Commissioner Bonner, we have invited you here to today to address one aspect of your mission, how to balance security enhancements with the flow of people and commerce across our borders. The global trading system is increasingly reliant on the swift delivery of goods produced overseas. America's economic stability requires that goods and people cross through our borders and in and out of the country regularly without long delays. Our security also requires that we know who and what is entering." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Dave Camp, Christopher Cox, Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Sheila Jackson-Lee, Edward J. Markey, Bill Pascrell, Jr., Loretta Sanchez, John B. Shadegg, Louise McIntosh, Lamar S. Smith, John Sweeney, Jim Turner, Robert C. Bonner, and Richard M. Stana.

United States. Government Printing Office

2005
President Discusses Border Security and Immigration Reform in Arizona [November 28, 2005]

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"Since I've taken office we've increased funding for border security by 60 percent. Our border agents have used that funding to apprehend and send home more than 4.5 million people coming into our country illegally, including more than 35 0,000 with criminal records. Our Customs and Border Protection agents can be proud of the work that you're doing. You're taking control of this border. And we have more work to do, and that's what I want to talk to you about today. We're going to build on the progress we have made. We have a comprehensive strategy to reform our immigration system. We're going to secure the border by catching those who enter illegally, and hardening the border to prevent illegal crossings. We're going to strengthen enforcement of our immigration laws within our country. And together with Congress, we're going to create a temporary worker program that will take pressure off the border, bring workers from out of the shadows, and reject amnesty. Our strategy for comprehensive immigration reforms begins by securing the border. Now, let me talk to you about a three-part plan. The first part of the plan is to promptly return every illegal entrant we catch at the border, with no exceptions. More than 85 percent of the illegal immigrants we catch are from Mexico, and most of them are escorted back across the border within 24 hours."

United States. Office of the White House Press Secretary

2005-11-28
Statement by Secretary Jeh C. Johnson on Southwest Border Security [January 4, 2016]

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On January 4, the Department of Homeland Security issued the following press release: "As I have said repeatedly, our borders are not open to illegal migration; if you come here illegally, we will send you back consistent with our laws and values. In the spring and summer of 2014 we faced a significant spike in families and unaccompanied children from Central America attempting to cross our southern border illegally. In response, we took a number of actions in collaboration with the governments of Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador, and the numbers declined dramatically. In Fiscal Year 2015, the number of apprehensions by U.S. Border Patrol of those attempting to cross our southern border illegally -- an indicator of total attempts to cross the border illegally -- decreased to 331,333. With the exception of one year, this was the lowest number of apprehensions on our southern border since 1972. In recent months, however, the rate of apprehensions on our southern border has begun to climb again. In November 2014, I issued new priorities for immigration enforcement as part of the President's immigration accountability executive actions. These new Department-wide priorities focus our enforcement resources on convicted criminals and threats to public safety. These new enforcement priorities also focus on border security, namely the removal of those apprehended at the border or who came here illegally after January 1, 2014. We must enforce the law in accordance with these priorities, and secure our borders."

United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office

2016-01-04
Border Security: Investigators Successfully Transported Radioactive Sources Across Our Nation's Borders at Selected Locations

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"This report responds to your request that we investigate potential security weaknesses related to the installation of radiation detection equipment at U.S. ports of entry. Based on discussions with your staff, we focused our efforts on testing whether the radiation portal monitors installed at the U.S. ports of entry would detect radioactive material transported in vehicles attempting to enter the United States. We also agreed to provide our observations regarding the procedures that Department of Homeland Security U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspectors followed when the radiation portal monitors detected such material. We have reported on the security of our nation's northern border in terms of detection of illegal transport of radioactive material into the United States in our previous work."

United States. Government Accountability Office

2006-03-28
Department of Defense Involvement in Homeland Security: The Militarization of the Southwestern Border in the U.S.

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"The increase in military participation since 9/11 along the southwestern U.S. border has significantly enhanced the security capabilities of the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection. After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks against the United States, President Bush mandated the creation of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to prevent terrorist attacks within the United States, reduce America's vulnerability to terrorist attacks, and facilitate the recovery from attacks, if they did occur. The Department of Defense (DoD) was given the lead role in Homeland Defense and it directed the U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) to implement plans and policies to defend against future terrorist attacks. The Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) was established as a department within DHS and it was charged with the mission of protecting U.S. borders against terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling, illegal migration, and agricultural pests while concurrently facilitating the movement of legal travel and trade. President Bush made a commitment to increase border patrol agents, augment immigration enforcement along the border, and temporarily use the National Guard to assist DHS in securing the southern border of the nation. This commitment provided the southern border states with 6,000 National Guard troops for a period of one year. This allowed the CBP time to hire, train, and inculcate new agents within its force. The total agent force objective was to add 18,300 agents by the end of December 2008, and another 1,700 agents by the end of 2009."

Marine Corps Command and Staff College (U.S.)

Thompson, Michael A.

2008-01
Using Strategic Communications to Address Critical Threats to Border Security

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From the thesis abstract: "Border security improvements have certainly been made since the tragic events of 9/11, but there are still critical areas that threaten United States borders and continue to leave the country open to future terrorist attacks. Some of the critical areas include: lack of information and intelligence sharing, sheer size of the borders and number of entry points, number of people looking to cross into the United States, weak inspection systems at customs and ports of entry, and a lack of synchronization between the federal government and local communities most directly affected by border security issues. Considering all the threats and security challenges that currently face the United States and its borders, an effective communications strategy must be implemented to earn the public[']s support and understanding of the initiatives needed to solve the border security problems. The purpose of this paper is to discuss those critical areas that threaten U.S. borders and make recommendations on what can be done to improve them. Additionally, the paper will help show how an effective communications strategy can influence public opinion and put pressure on government agencies to make the changes necessary to improve the country[']s overall border security situation. Ultimately, it will take a joint effort between federal, state, and local officials and all U.S. citizens to tighten the borders and protect the country from future terrorist and criminal activities."

Air University (U.S.). Air Command and Staff College

Burke, Sean K.

2009-04
Decision Model for U.S.-Mexico Border Security Measures

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From the thesis abstract: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has invested billions of dollars to prevent illegal drugs, immigration, weapons, and currency from transiting across the U.S.-Mexico border. DHS has not created a sufficient standardized method to measure whether an investment in a security measure is cost-effective when combining assets. To take it one step further, DHS has not created a model that combines cost-effectiveness of a security asset while simultaneously determining how it will contribute to achieving operational control of the border. This study provides an in-depth look into the current risk-based model DHS uses, the administrative and physical infrastructure of U.S.-Mexico border security, and a critical view of DHS' annual budget. A decision model is presented that will give policymakers a process to choose a combination of border security investments that will achieve operational control of the border while remaining within budgeting constraints. A lot of work needs to be done for DHS to determine the correct security assets to be placed at the U.S.-Mexico Border to maintain operational control and cost-effectiveness. This study does not determine which security assets need to be put into place, but it provides a decision process that will be an asset for policymakers to save federal time and money assigned to border security investments."

Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

Lavender, Matthew L.

2017-09
Serial No. 112-73: From the 9/11 Hijackers to Amine El-Khalifi: Terrorists and the Visa Overstay Problem, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Twelfth Congress, Second Session, March 6, 2012

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This is the March 6, 2012 hearing on "From the 9/11 Hijackers to Amine El-Khalifi: Terrorists and the Visa Overstay Problem," held before the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. From the opening statement of Candice S. Miller: "The Committee on Homeland Security, our Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security will come to order. The subcommittee is meeting today to hear testimony from John Cohen, deputy counter terrorism coordinator, the Department of Homeland Security; Peter Edge, deputy executive associate director for homeland security investigations within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; and David Donahue, the deputy assistant secretary of state for consular affairs, on the vitally important topic of visa security. I would recognize myself for an opening statement. Since 9/11 our border security efforts have been very focused on stopping illegal immigrants and illicit drugs from entering our country, and we have really principally focused much of our efforts on our Southwest Border. However, estimates--some estimates as high as in the 40 percentile of all illegal aliens that are in our country just don't sneak across the border; they don't come in through the desert. They actually come in through the front door, so to speak, by obtaining a legitimate visa, and then they are here, they have a visa overstay, and they just simply never leave." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Candice S. Miller, Henry Cuellar, Bennie G. Thompson, John Cohen, Peter T. Edge, and David T. Donahue.

United States. Government Printing Office

2013
S. Hrg. 114-681: Opioid Crisis, Field Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Fourteenth Congress, Second Session, Border Security and America's Heroin Epidemic: The Impact of the Trafficking and Abuse of Heroin and Prescription Opioids in Wisconsin, April 15, 2016, Examining the Impact of the Opioid Epidemic in Ohio, April 22, 2016

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This is the April 15, 2016, and April 22, 2016 hearing on "Opioid Crisis," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Chairman Ron Johnson: "When I took over the Chairmanship of the Committee, we first established a mission statement. It is pretty simple: To enhance the economic and national security of America. And then, we established four priorities on the homeland security side: border security, cyber security, protecting our critical infrastructure, and combating Islamic terrorists. The first one we addressed--border security, we have held 15 hearings on border security. We have issued an approximately 100- page report, and it is right here--I would recommend you going online or getting a copy of it--laying out the findings of our hearings. You might ask, well, how does border security relate to a hearing here in Wisconsin on the effect of heroin and the use and abuse and the overdoses here in Wisconsin. Well, certainly, my conclusion, as well as I think a number of our committee Members is, among many causes of our unsecure border, I place at the top of the list America's insatiable demand for drugs." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: James F. Bohn, Tim Westlake, Tyler Lybert, Ashley Nowakowski, Lauri Badura, R. Gil Kerlikowske, Brad Schimel, Jon Erpenbach, and John Nygren.

United States. Government Publishing Office

2017
Future of Border Security: Can SBInet Succeed? Joint Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism Joint with the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Tenth Congress, October 24, 2007

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From Loretta Sanchez's opening statement: "We are very interested in the progress being made on SBInet and the impact that this will have on improving our Nation's border security. There are several different projects within SBInet, and while it will be useful to get an update on all of them, of course, we are particularly concerned to hear about Project-28. Our subcommittees have closely followed the Project-28 process and the delays that have been a part of that, and we were led to believe at our June 7th hearing that this Project-28 would be operational by June 13th, and you already know my extreme disappointment with respect to that." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Loretta Sanchez, Mark E. Souder, Christopher P. Carney, Mike Rogers, Bennie G. Thompson, Henry Cuellar, Al Green, Bill Pascrell Jr., David G. Reichert, Gregory Giddens, Robert W. Gilibert, Roger Krone, Jerry W. McElwee, Richard M. Santana, and Sheila Jackson Lee.

United States. Government Printing Office

2009
Immigration Related Border Security Legislation in the 109th Congress [Updated March 24, 2006]

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"Border security is considered a central aspect of the United States' overall homeland security. Securing the border involves controlling the official ports of entry (POE) through which legitimate travelers and commerce enter the country, as well as monitoring and patrolling the nation's land and maritime borders to detect and interdict the entry of illegal persons and contraband. The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the lead federal agency charged with securing our nation's borders at and between POE. In the 109th Congress, there are a large number of bills currently pending that would address some of the immigration issues associated with border security by focusing on the movement of people into the country, both at POE and illegally across the U.S. international land border. This report will focus on the main legislative issues facing the 109th Congress relating to the movement of people across the border. It will not address interior enforcement issues or cargo security issues. [...] The following bills are included in this report: H.R. 98, H.R. 193, H.R. 255, H.R. 418, H.R. 688, H.R. 780, H.R. 1196, H.R. 1320, H.R. 1502, H.R. 1805, H.R. 1817, H.R. 1912, H.R. 1986, H.R. 2092, H.R. 2330, H.R. 3137, H.R. 3333, H.R. 3622, H.R. 3693, H.R. 3704, H.R. 3938, H.R. 4009, H.R. 4083, H.R. 4099, H.R. 4238, H.R. 4240, H.R. 4283, H.R. 4284, H.R. 4285, H.R. 4312, H.R. 4313, H.R. 4412, H.R. 4437, H.R. 4871, H.R. 4958, S. 12, S. 1033, S. 1362, S. 1374, S. 1438, S. 1823, S. 1875, S. 1916, S. 2049, S. 2061, S. 2117, S. 2368, S. 2377, S. 2391, S. 2394, and S. 2454, and the Senate Committee on the Judiciary Chairman's mark."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Nunez-Neto, Blas; Beaver, Cheryl

2006-03-24
Immigration Related Border Security Legislation in the 109th Congress [Updated April 3, 2006]

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"Border security is considered a central aspect of the United States' overall homeland security. Securing the border involves controlling the official ports of entry (POE) through which legitimate travelers and commerce enter the country, as well as monitoring and patrolling the nation's land and maritime borders to detect and interdict the entry of illegal persons and contraband. The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the lead federal agency charged with securing our nation's borders at and between POE. In the 109th Congress, there are a large number of bills currently pending that would address some of the immigration issues associated with border security by focusing on the movement of people into the country, both at POE and illegally across the U.S. international land border. This report will focus on the main legislative issues facing the 109th Congress relating to the movement of people across the border. It will not address interior enforcement issues or cargo security issues."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Nunez-Neto, Blas; Beaver, Cheryl

2006-04-03
Immigration Related Border Security Legislation the 109th Congress [Updated May 10, 2006]

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"Border security is considered a central aspect of the United States' overall homeland security. Securing the border involves controlling the official ports of entry (POE) through which legitimate travelers and commerce enter the country, as well as monitoring and patrolling the nation's land and maritime borders to detect and interdict the entry of illegal persons and contraband. The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the lead federal agency charged with securing our nation's borders at and between POE. In the 109th Congress, there are a large number of bills currently pending that would address some of the immigration issues associated with border security by focusing on the movement of people into the country, both at POE and illegally across the U.S. international land border. This report will focus on the main legislative issues facing the 109th Congress relating to the movement of people across the border. It will not address interior enforcement issues or cargo security issues."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Nunez-Neto, Blas

2006-05-10
Immigration Related Border Security Legislation in the 109th Congress [Updated June 8, 2006]

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"Border security is considered a central aspect of the United States' overall homeland security. Securing the border involves controlling the official ports of entry (POE) through which legitimate travelers and commerce enter the country, as well as monitoring and patrolling the nation's land and maritime borders to detect and interdict the entry of illegal persons and contraband. The Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the lead federal agency charged with securing our nation's borders at and between POE. In the 109th Congress, there are a large number of bills currently pending that would address some of the immigration issues associated with border security by focusing on the movement of people into the country, both at POE and illegally across the U.S. international land border. This report will focus on the main legislative issues facing the 109th Congress relating to the movement of people across the border. It will not address interior enforcement issues or cargo security issues."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Nunez-Neto, Blas; Beaver, Cheryl

2006-06-08
Border Security: Progress and Challenges in DHS's Efforts to Address High-Risk Travelers and Strengthen Visa Security, Statement of Rebecca Gambler, Director, Homeland Security and Justice, Testimony Before the Task Force on Denying Terrorists Entry into the United States, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives

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"DHS seeks to identify and interdict travelers who are potential security threats to the United States, such as foreign fighters and potential terrorists, human traffickers, drug smugglers and otherwise inadmissible persons, at the earliest possible point in time. DHS also adjudicates petitions for certain visa categories and has certain responsibilities for strengthening the security of the visa process, including oversight of VSP [Visa Security Program] and VWP [Visa Waiver Program]. State manages the visa adjudication process for foreign nationals seeking admission to the United States. This statement addresses (1) CBP [Customs and Border Protection] programs aimed at preventing high-risk travelers from boarding U.S.-bound flights; (2) ICE's [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] management of VSP; and (3) DHS's oversight of VWP. This statement is based on prior products GAO [Government Accountability Office] issued from March 2011 through January 2017, along with selected updates conducted in April 2017 to obtain information from DHS on actions it has taken to address prior GAO recommendations. […] GAO previously made recommendations to improve evaluation of CBP's predeparture programs' performance and strengthen DHS's oversight of VSP and VWP. DHS agreed with GAO's recommendations related to CBP's predeparture programs and VWP. DHS did not agree with some of GAO's recommendations related to VSP. GAO has ongoing work related to, among other things, DHS's management and oversight of VSP and plans to report later this year on the results of this work."

United States. Government Accountability Office

Gambler, Rebecca

2017-05-03
Border Security: A Conceptual Model of Complexity

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From the thesis abstract: "This research applies complexity and system dynamics theory to the idea of border security, culminating in the development of a conceptual model that can be used to expand exploration of unconventional leverage points, better understand holistic implications of border policies, and improve sense making for homeland security. How can border security be characterized to better understand what it is, and why are so many divergent opinions being voiced on whether it can be achieved? By demonstrating the border as a complex adaptive system (CAS) through the use of graphic system dynamics models, exploring by way of example the influences surrounding the movement of trade and transnational terrorists across borders, four policy-centric pillars became evident: 1) institutional capacity, 2) criminal capacity, 3) ability to move people and goods across borders rapidly, and 4) operational capacity. Culture, identity, adversarial adaptation, enforcement, and moral values influence and are influenced by, perceptions of what are seen as threats. This research illustrates the value of thinking in systems (instead of missions or programs), challenges assumptions of what borders and border security are thought to be, and intends to inspire creativity in thinking about 21st century borders: what they represent and the challenges they pose."

Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.). Center for Homeland Defense and Security; Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)

Stein, Teia N.

2013-12
Criminal Activity and Violence along the Southern Border: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, August 16, 2006.

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This hearing before the Subcommittee on Investigations of the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, on August 16, 2006, discusses criminal activity and violence along the southern border. From the text: "Now today we will examine the expanding crisis of violence and criminal activity on America's border with Mexico. We will hear what I expect to be sobering testimony from Federal, State and local government officials and law enforcement, as well as the victims of violence committed by those in our Nation illegally. […].The violence our border patrol and local law enforcement encounter continues to increase at an alarming rate, and the organized criminal element on Mexico's side of our southern border is heavily armed and very dangerous. From 2004 to 2005, violent incidents against border patrol agents on the southern border increased more than 100 percent. Since October of last year there have been 630 violent incidents against our border patrol agents. In January 2006, the Department of Homeland Security sent a confidential memo to border patrol agents warning that they could be the targets of assassins hired by alien smugglers. The point is, America's border with Mexico is a violent and dangerous place today, and this is largely due to the drug trafficking along our southern unsecured border."

United States. Government Printing Office

2006-08-16
Border Security: Immigration Enforcement Between Ports of Entry [January 16, 2014]

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"Border enforcement is a core element of the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS's) effort to control illegal migration, with the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) within the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as the lead agency along most of the border. Border enforcement has been an ongoing subject of congressional interest since the 1970s, when illegal immigration to the United States first registered as a serious national problem; and border security has received additional attention in the decade following the terrorist attacks of 2001. Since the 1990s, migration control at the border has been guided by a strategy of 'prevention through deterrence'--the idea that the concentration of personnel, infrastructure, and surveillance technology along heavily trafficked regions of the border will discourage unauthorized aliens from attempting to enter the United States. Since 2005, CBP has attempted to discourage repeat entries and disrupt migrant smuggling networks by imposing tougher penalties against certain unauthorized aliens, a set of policies eventually described as 'enforcement with consequences.' Most people apprehended at the Southwest border are now subject to 'high consequence' enforcement outcomes."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Seghetti, Lisa M.

2014-01-16
Border Security: Immigration Enforcement Between Ports of Entry [December 31, 2014]

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"Border enforcement is a core element of the Department of Homeland Security's effort to control unauthorized migration, with the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) within the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as the lead agency along most of the border. Border enforcement has been an ongoing subject of congressional interest since the 1970s, when illegal immigration to the United States first registered as a serious national problem; and border security has received additional attention in the years since the terrorist attacks of 2001. Since the 1990s, migration control at the border has been guided by a strategy of 'prevention through deterrence'--the idea that the concentration of personnel, infrastructure, and surveillance technology along heavily trafficked regions of the border will discourage unauthorized aliens from attempting to enter the United States. Since 2005, CBP has attempted to discourage repeat illegal migrant entries and disrupt migrant smuggling networks by imposing tougher penalties against certain unauthorized aliens, a set of policies eventually described as 'enforcement with consequences.' Most people apprehended at the Southwest border are now subject to 'high consequence' enforcement outcomes."

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service

Seghetti, Lisa M.

2014-12-31
Pushing the Border out on Alien Smuggling: New Tools and Intelligence Initiatives: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims of the Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Second Session, May 18, 2004

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Serial No. 88: This document provides the transcript of a hearing before the Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims on May 18, 2004, to examine the operations of the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department in deterring and preventing alien smuggling into the United States. The hearing examines new initiatives and proposals that might help "push the border out" in combating alien smuggling on all levels, such as: strengthening the sentencing guidelines for alien smugglers; devoting more resources and officers to uncover and disrupt alien-smuggling networks at source and transit countries; working with foreign law enforcement to do the same; creating a rewards program for informants to provide valuable information to law enforcement about alien-smuggling operations; creating another "S" visa category for alien-smuggling informants; and providing more outreach to the public . Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: John N. Hostettler, Sheila Jackson Lee, Linda T. Sanchez, Joe D. Morton, Robert L. Harris, John P. Torres, Michael W. Cutler, Steve King, and Elton Gallegly.

United States. Government Printing Office

2004
Department f Homeland Security Intelligence and Border Security: Delivering Operational Intelligence: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment of the Committee on Homeland Security, U.S. House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth Congress, Second Session, June 28, 2006

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Rob Simmons: "The 9/11 Commission estimated that annually approximately 500,000 people enter this country illegally, without inspection, and overstay their legal welcome. Many come for opportunities that America provides, and we understand that, but others have a more sinister intent. In order to better protect our borders, we need to know who is attempting to cross, and what are they bringing into this country, and why. Our border immigration and Coast Guard officials protect more than 5,000 miles of the border with Canada, 1,900 miles of border with Mexico, and approximately 12,400 miles of shoreline east and west. To protect this vast international border, intelligence-driven operations will be the key to targeting and interdicting these threats before their arrival. On a typical day Federal officials will apprehend over 3,000 people trying to cross between ports of entry, and on a typical day will intercept one person for terrorism or national security-related reasons. These apprehensions net fraudulent documents and seemingly innocuous pocket litter, both of which can have tremendous intelligence value. Therefore, DES frontline operators must have the tools, the training, capability and processes in place to weave the information from these everyday encounters into a comprehensive intelligence picture." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Zoe Lofgren, Bennie G. Thompson, Mark E. Souder, Jim Gibbons, Jane Harman, Nita M. Lowey, Charles E. Allen, L. Thomas Bortmes, Cynthia O'Connell, James Sloan, Michael W. Cutler, and Michael O'Hanlon.

United States. Government Printing Office

2007
Border Security--2019, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, April 4, April 9, June 26, July 17, July 30, and November 13, 2019

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This is the April 4, April 9, June 26, July 17, July 30 and November 13, 2019 hearings on "Border Security--2019," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the opening statement of Gary C. Peters: "I appreciate the Chairman's focus on obtaining accurate, timely data on migration and border security. Certainly, few issues that we face today are as complex as this one or as controversial. Far too often, harmful rhetoric drowns out reasonable dialogue, and I hope that this hearing can cut through that rhetoric and let us focus on the facts. The situation on our Southern Border, in Mexico, and throughout the Northern Triangle is dynamic. [...] The reality is that much of our current infrastructure was built to address the challenges of the 1990s and early last decade when the majority of unauthorized border crossings were single men seeking economic opportunity. That is not what the statistics show us today, and it is not what our staff saw during a bipartisan delegation to the Southern Border last month. Overwhelmingly, they saw families from El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras. They saw parents with children. They saw children who had made the journey to the border without their parents. They saw our hardworking law enforcement officers, public servants, volunteers, and civic leaders doing their best to manage what is certainly a very difficult situation." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Mark A. Morgan, John Daniel Davidson, Andrew Selee, Rodolfo Karisch, Randy Howe, Timothy Tubbs, Jonathan White, Greg Cherundolo, Brian S. Hastings, Gregory Nevano, Karen Tandy, Jayson Ahern, Leon Fresco, Sharon W. Cooper, Jennifer L. Costello, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli, Derek N. Benner, and James McHenry.

United States. Government Publishing Office

2021
Statement by Secretary Jeh C. Johnson on the Consequences to Border Security without a DHS Appropriations Bill [February 10, 2015]

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On February 10, 2015, the Department of Homeland Security issued the following press release: "I continue to stress the need for a DHS appropriations bill for FY 2015, unburdened by politically charged amendments that attempt to defund our executive actions on immigration reform. The President has made plain that he will veto a bill that includes such language. At present, the Department of Homeland Security is operating on a continuing resolution that expires on February 27. As long as this Department is funded by a continuing resolution, there are a whole series of activities vital to homeland security and public safety that cannot be undertaken. The public must be aware of the real impacts to homeland security as long as DHS is funded by a continuing resolution, or, still worse, if Congress were to permit our funding to lapse altogether and the Department of Homeland Security goes into government shutdown. Last week I issued a statement noting the impact on DHS's grant-making activity to states, local and tribal governments as long as we are on a CR. Basically, we are prevented from funding all new non-disaster assistance grants. The public must also be aware of the impact on our ability to secure the borders as long as we operate on a CR. As part of our executive actions to reform the immigration system, the President and I have emphasized increased border security. Added border security is also a key component of the President's FY 2015 and FY 2016 budget submissions to Congress. But, as long as this Department is on a CR, and not a full-year appropriations bill, our ability to strengthen border security, to include maintaining the resources we put in place to respond to the surge in illegal migration into south Texas last summer, is constrained."

United States. Department of Homeland Security. Press Office

2015-02-10
Department of Homeland Security: Border Security Status Report: Fourth Quarter, Fiscal Year 2017 (Fiscal Year 2017 Report to Congress)

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"DHS secures our Nation's air, land, and sea borders to prevent illegal activity while facilitating lawful travel and trade. The Department's border security and management efforts focus on three interrelated goals: effectively securing U.S. air, land, and sea borders; safeguarding and streamlining lawful trade and travel; and disrupting and, in coordination with other federal agencies, dismantling transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. DHS has deployed significant levels of personnel, technology, and infrastructure to secure U.S. borders. The integration of intelligence and enforcement capabilities through intergovernmental task forces and partnerships has facilitated better information sharing, leading to the increased interdiction of drugs, weapons, and currency. By focusing on the highest threats and rapidly responding, DHS has strengthened security across the U.S. borders while facilitating international travel and trade."

United States. Department of Homeland Security

2018-05-02
Department of Homeland Security: Border Security Status Report: Third Quarter, Fiscal Year 2017 (Fiscal Year 2017 Report to Congress)

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"DHS secures our Nation's air, land, and sea borders to prevent illegal activity while facilitating lawful travel and trade. The Department's border security and management efforts focus on three interrelated goals: effectively securing U.S. air, land, and sea borders; safeguarding and streamlining lawful trade and travel; and disrupting and, in coordination with other federal agencies, dismantling transnational criminal and terrorist organizations. DHS has deployed significant levels of personnel, technology, and infrastructure to secure U.S. borders. The integration of intelligence and enforcement capabilities through intergovernmental task forces and partnerships has facilitated better information sharing, leading to the increased interdiction of drugs, weapons, and currency. By focusing on the highest threats and rapidly responding, DHS has strengthened security across the U.S. borders while facilitating international travel and trade."

United States. Department of Homeland Security

2018-05-02

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