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Northern Northern Border: Homeland Security Priorities in the Arctic, Part II, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, February 5, 2020
This is the February 5, 2020 hearing on "Northern Northern Border: Homeland Security Priorities in the Arctic, Part II," held before the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Maritime Security of the Committee on Homeland Security. From the Opening Statement of J. Luis Correa: "Today, we will discuss the U.S. Homeland Security priorities in the Arctic following a productive hearing with non-Government issues on this witness in September. We have seen the Arctic climate changing with diminishing ice openings and with maritime activity increasing in parts of the world that were essentially unnavigable and untouched in years before. It seems that we are ill-prepared for the changes brought about by a warmer climate in the Arctic. I am very concerned about the number of aggressive actions of other nations in the region, especially China and Russia. We in the United States, we have had a long history of supporting an internal rules-based order in order to foster a spirit of cooperation in the Arctic states. But in recent years, we have seen Russia expand its military installation in the area and expand its activities in the Arctic." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Charles W. Ray, Michael J. Murphy, and Marie A. Mak.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Assessing the Adequacy of DHS Efforts to Prevent Child Deaths in Custody, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, January 14, 2020
This is the January 14, 2020 hearing titled "Assessing the Adequacy of DHS Efforts to Prevent Child Deaths in Custody" before the House Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations of the Committee on Homeland Security. From the opening statement of Kathleen M. Rice: "We have seen a dramatic increase in the numbers of families and children arriving on the Southern Border over the past several years. Most of these families and children arrived from Central America, fleeing vicious cartels, gang violence, and extreme poverty. After surviving long dangerous journeys, these families should have been met with safe refuge, but instead they encountered this administration's myriad of inhumane border policies like family separation, zero tolerance detention, and the Remain in Mexico policy. These policies and management decisions by the administration have contributed to mass overcrowding and wide-spread inhumane conditions at Customs and Border Protection facilities across our Southern Border." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Brian S. Hastings and Alexander L. Eastman.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Examining the Effect of the Border Wall on Private and Tribal Landowners, Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations, of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Second Session, February 27, 2020
This is the February 27, 2020 hearing titled "Examining the Effect of the Border Wall on Private and Tribal Landowners" before the House Committee on Homeland Security. From the opening statement of Kathleen M. Rice: "Over the past year, this subcommittee has sought to bring attention to the administration's misguided and dangerous border wall policy. We know the construction of a border wall will not stop the influx of drugs into our country, will be an unnecessary cost to taxpayers, and as we will discuss today, will have an irreversible impact on the rights of U.S. citizens and Native Americans." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Reynaldo Anzaldua, Nayda Alvarez, Ned Norris, Jr., and Jim Chilton.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Department of Homeland Security 'U.S. Customs and Border Protection' Budget Overview: Fiscal Year 2021, Congressional Justification
From the Component Overview: "The strategic context presents the performance budget by tying together programs, or PPAs [programs, projects and activities], and performance measures that gauge the delivery of results to our stakeholders. The Common Appropriation Structure (CAS) allows DHS to integrate the programmatic view and a significant portion of the Level 1 PPAs represent what DHS refers to as our mission programs. A mission program is a group of activities acting together to accomplish a specific high-level outcome external to DHS and includes operational processes, skills, technology, human capital, and other resources. CBP's [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] mission programs are presented below. Performance measures associated with these programs are presented in two measure sets, strategic and management measures. Strategic measures communicate results delivered for our agency goals by these programs and are considered our Government Performance and Results Act Modernization Act of 2010 (GPRAMA) measures."
United States. Department of Homeland Security
2020?
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Examining the Human Rights and Legal Implications of DHS's 'Remain in Mexico' Policy, Hearing Before the Submittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations of the Committee on Homeland Security House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, November 19, 2019
This is the November 19, 2019 hearing "Examining the Human Rights and Legal Implications of DHS's 'Remain in Mexico' Policy" held before the Subcommittee on Border Security, Facilitation, and Operations of the House Committee on Homeland Security. From the opening statement of Kathleen M. Rice: "Today we will examine the implementation of the Migrant Protection Protocols more commonly known as the Remain-in-Mexico program. This morning we will hear the perspective of practitioners who witness the program's impact on the ground. Since this program went into effect on January 18, 2019, the Remain-in-Mexico Policy has forced tens of thousands of asylum seekers to wait in Mexico while their claims are processed." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Laura Pena, Erin Thorn Vela, Todd Schneberk, Michael A. Knowles, and Thomas D. Homan.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Building Resilience Together: Military and Local Government Collaboration for Climate Adaptation
From the Webpage: "As part of the RAND Corporation's Security 2040 Initiative, the authors of this report explored a critical global challenge that will shape the security landscape over the next 20 years: contending with and preparing for the effects of climate change. Within the United States, many governmental entities, from cities to counties to military services, have already begun to prepare for and directly address climate change's impacts. The resilience of these communities and installations does not lie neatly within designated jurisdictional borders. Communities are dependent on how their neighbors, which include local military installations, choose to adapt to climate change. Likewise, military installations require the communities on which they depend for transportation, resources, and personnel to contend with and plan for climate change. Military installations and communities are coexisting and codependent entities, relying on mutual infrastructure and resources to support their respective functions."
RAND Corporation
McCollester, Maria; Miro, Michelle E.; Van Abel, Kristin
2020
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Promoting Safe and Efficient Travel and Trade at America's Land Ports of Entry, Field Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability of the Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, First Session, December 2, 2019
This is the December 2, 2019 field hearing titled "Promoting Safe and Efficient Travel and Trade at America's Land Ports of Entry," held before the House Subcommittee on Oversight, Management, and Accountability of the Committee on Homeland Security. From the opening statement of Xochitl Torres Small: "Of the 110 land ports of entry on the U.S. border, 3--Santa Teresa, Columbus, and Antelope Wells--are all in the district that I represent. Earlier this morning, Ranking Member Crenshaw and I had the opportunity to visit one of these ports, the Santa Teresa port of entry, just down the road from here. The visit was valuable to understanding the critical role the ports of entry and the Customs and Border Protection officers who staff those ports play in facilitating commerce and preventing contraband such as illegal drugs from entering the country. Unfortunately, many land ports of entry have outdated infrastructure, lack technology to detect contraband, and suffer from staffing shortages. We saw that overwhelmingly today, the challenges that happen when you need a larger work force to get the job done." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Hector A. Mancha, Jr., Marco Grajeda, Jerry Pacheco, and Felipe Otero.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Implications of the Reinterpretation of the Flores Settlement Agreement for Border Security and Illegal Immigration Incentives, Hearing Before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Fifteenth Congress, Second Session, September 18, 2018
This is the September 18, 2018 hearing on "Implications of the Reinterpretation of the Flores Settlement Agreement for Border Security and Illegal Immigration Incentives," held before the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. From the Opening Statement of Ron Johnson: "This hearing really is a follow-on to a problem that I think everybody recognized. Obviously, it became pretty controversial, but we took a look at this on our Committee in August. We had a meeting with the Committee to figure out what we can do to solve the issue about being able to enforce our immigration laws without separating families. I do not think anybody wanted to do that. In that meeting I proposed four basic goals that I hoped we could agree on. I am not sure we have total agreement, but the goals that I proposed in trying to focus on fixing this problem--we are not talking about comprehensive immigration reform here. We are really talking about trying to fix this particular problem. The four goals I laid out was, hopefully we all want to secure our border-- I think a sovereign nation needs to do that--enforce our immigration laws, maintain reasonable asylum standards, and also keep asylum-seeking families together." Statements, letters, and materials submitted for the record include those of the following: Matthew T. Albence, Robert E. Perez, Joseph B. Edlow, and Rebecca Gambler.
United States. Government Publishing Office
2020
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Unique Needs and Challenges of Border Law Enforcement 'and Promising Practices for Establishing a Criminal Interdiction Unit'
From the Document: "The U.S. Department of Justice Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) and the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) hosted a series of roundtable and focus groups, supplemented by a needs assessment, to determine the needs, promising practices, and challenges of sheriffs' offices along the northern and southern borders of the United States. This report summarizes the findings of those discussions. Border sheriffs' primary needs are for personnel; updated equipment and infrastructure, particularly along the northern border; and support in information sharing and communication across all levels of government. The report also focuses on a widely shared promising practice--the establishment of dedicated interdiction units. A COPS Office / NSA training on rural interdiction is summarized, along with lessons learned from an interdiction unit in North Texas."
United States. Department of Justice. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
Barksdale, Kristi; Yount, Tully
2020
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Legal Authority to Repurpose Funds for Border Barrier Construction [Updated December 30, 2019]
From the Document: "President Trump has prioritized the construction of border barriers along the U.S.-Mexico border. Over the course of negotiations for FY2019 appropriations, the Administration asked Congress to appropriate $5.7 billion to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for that purpose. When Congress appropriated $1.375 billion to DHS for border fencing, the President announced that his Administration would fund the construction of border barriers by repurposing funds appropriated to the Department of Defense (DOD) and transferring funds from the Department of the Treasury."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Elsea, Jennifer K.; Liu, Edward C.
2019-12-30
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Public Law 116-254: DHS Opioid Detection Resilience Act of 2019
"An Act to ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, agents, and other personnel have adequate synthetic opioid detection equipment, that the Department of Homeland Security has a process to update synthetic opioid detection capability, and for other purposes."
From Section 2: "(1) implement a strategy to ensure deployed chemical screening devices are able to identify in an operational environment narcotics at purity levels less than or equal to 10 percent, or provide ports of entry with an alternate method for identifying narcotics at lower purity levels; and (2) require testing of any new chemical screening devices to understand the abilities and limitations of such devices relating to identifying narcotics at various purity levels before CBP [Customs and Border Protection] commits to the acquisition of such devices."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019-12-23
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Audit of Jordan Border Security Program Oversight
From the Document: "The objective of this audit was to determine whether the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) ensured that contractor-provided equipment and training met the requirements for the Jordan Border Security Program (JBSP). [...] DTRA, through the Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation Prevention Program, oversees the implementation of the JBSP. The JBSP is intended to enhance the capability of the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to deter, detect, and interdict weapons of mass destruction and related materials crossing its border. As a critical part of this effort, DTRA is responsible for ensuring that the contractor provides preventive and corrective maintenance, supply acquisition and management support, technical documentation for system architecture design, warranties, and training to the Jordanian Armed Forces (JAF) to achieve self-sustainment of the JBSP, which includes the Jordan Border Security System (JBSS)."
United States. Department of Defense. Office of the Inspector General
2019-12-20
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Do Warrantless Searches of Electronic Devices at the Border Violate the Fourth Amendment? [December 20, 2019]
From the Document: "The Fourth Amendment commands that searches and seizures be reasonable, and generally requires the government to secure a warrant based on probable cause before arresting or searching an individual. But the Supreme Court has long recognized that the government may conduct routine inspections and searches of individuals entering at the U.S. border without a warrant or any individualized suspicion of criminal activity. In recent decades, some federal courts have applied the 'border search exception' to allow relatively limited, manual searches at the border of electronic devices such as computers and cell phones. Courts, however, have disagreed over whether more intrusive, forensic examinations of such devices require heightened suspicion of criminal activity. [...] This Legal Sidebar examines the application of the Fourth Amendment's border search exception to searches of electronic devices and the district court's decision in 'Alasaad' limiting the government's border search authority."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Smith, Hillel R.
2019-12-20
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Mexico: Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking Organizations [Updated December 20, 2019]
From the Summary: "Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) pose the greatest crime threat to the United States and have 'the greatest drug trafficking influence,' according to the annual U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA's) 'National Drug Threat Assessment'. These organizations work across the Western Hemisphere and globally. They are involved in extensive money laundering, bribery, gun trafficking, and corruption, and they cause Mexico's homicide rates to spike. They produce and traffic illicit drugs into the United States, including heroin, methamphetamine, marijuana, and powerful synthetic opioids such as fentanyl, and they traffic South American cocaine. Over the past decade, Congress has held numerous hearings addressing violence in Mexico, U.S. counternarcotics assistance, and border security issues."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Beittel, June S.
2019-12-20
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Statement of Alexis Arieff, Specialist in African Affairs, Before Committee on Oversight and Reform, Subcommittee on National Security, U.S. House of Representatives, Hearing on 'U.S. Counterterrorism Priorities and Challenges in Africa', December 16, 2019
From the Introduction: "Islamist armed groups have proliferated and expanded their geographic presence in sub-Saharan Africa ('Africa,' unless noted) over the past decade. These groups employ terrorist tactics, and several have pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda or the Islamic State (IS, aka ISIS or ISIL) and operate across borders. Most, however, also operate as local insurgent movements that seek to attack and undermine state presence and control. Conflicts involving these groups have caused the displacement of millions of people in Africa and deepened existing development and security challenges. Local civilians and security forces have endured the overwhelming brunt of fatalities, as well as the devastating humanitarian impacts. Somalia, the Lake Chad Basin, and West Africa's Sahel region have been most affected (Figure 1). The Islamic State also has claimed attacks as far afield as eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and northern Mozambique over the past year."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Arieff, Alexis
2019-12-16
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Lack of Internal Controls Could Affect the Validity of CBP's Drawback Claims
From the Document: "The 'Department of Homeland Security Fiscal Year 2018 Independent Auditors' Report on Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting' identified recurring CBP [U.S. Customs and Border Protection] internal control deficiencies in drawback claims. Drawbacks are refunds of duties, taxes, and fees imposed on imported products later exported or destroyed. CBP management stated the timeframe for correcting deficiencies over drawback claims depends on successful implementation of information technology upgrades and legislative revisions. Our objective was to determine to what extent the identified control deficiencies impact drawback claims."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2019-12-12
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DHS Collection of Conference Fees from Nonfederal Participants in DHS Conferences: FY 2019 (Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress)
From the Background: "The enclosed report provides information on the number of DHS-sponsored conferences at which nonfederal participants were charged a fee to attend. The information was collected from DHS Components that reported conferences that they sponsored at which nonfederal participants were charged fees to offset the conference costs. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) reported two conferences for FY 2019. For each such event, CBP provided the total amount of fees collected from nonfederal participants (and federal participants, if any), the total conference-related costs, and the amount of fees returned to the Department of Treasury (Treasury), if any (i.e., fees collected from nonfederal participants that exceeded the conference costs)."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of the Chief Financial Officer
2019-12-05
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H. Rept. 116-318, Part 1: Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act, Report to Accompany H.R. 4739, December 3, 2019
From the Purpose and Summary: "H.R. 4739, the 'Synthetic Opioid Exposure Prevention and Training Act,' would amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to protect U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, agents, other personnel, and canines against potential synthetic opioid exposure."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019-12-03
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S. Rept. 116-163: Secure Traveler Act, Report to Accompany S. 1349, Including Cost Estimate of the Congressional Budget Office, December 2, 2019
From the Summary of Provisions: "S. 1349 would do the following: [1] Require the Administrator of the TSA, in consultation with the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, to create a process to verify an active security clearance for applicants in lieu of a background check. [2] Require the Administrator of the TSA, in consultation with the Attorney General, to establish a process to permit the expedited enrollment of certain public safety and law enforcement officers. [3] Continue to require applicants to pay all associated fees upon enrollment. U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents may apply for TSA PreCheck at a cost of $85 for 5 years. Once approved, travelers would receive a trusted traveler number and would have the opportunity to utilize expedited lanes at select security checkpoints when flying. [4] Require the Administrator of the TSA and Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in consultation with the Attorney General, Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau, and other appropriate departments, to report on the feasibility of expanding the TSA PreCheck program created by this Act to other Trusted Traveler Programs, such as Global Entry."
United States. Government Publishing Office
2019-12-02
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Feasibility Study: Establishing an Initiative Specific to Hiring American Indian Veterans into U.S. Customs and Border Protection (Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress)
From the Executive Summary: "Border security is a top priority for DHS. Improving relations with tribal communities is one of the many ways that DHS can strengthen security measures while safeguarding the American people, our homeland, and our values. The purpose of this report is to address the feasibility of establishing a tribal-specific branch within U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), similar to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Shadow Wolves Unit. This report contains data and information analysis, an overview of existing tribal liaison programs at CBP, potential barriers to establishing a stand-alone unit within USBP, and next steps."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Directorate for Management
2019-12-02
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Immigration Enforcement: Immigration-Related Prosecutions Increased from 2017 to 2018 in Response to U.S. Attorney General's Direction, Report to the Chairwoman, Subcommittee on Immigration and Citizenship, Committee on the Judiciary, House of Representatives
From the Highlights: "In 2017 and 2018, the Attorney General directed federal prosecutors to prioritize prosecutions of immigration-related offenses, including improper entry into the United States, illegal reentry after a prior removal from the country, and alien smuggling, among other offenses. Most individuals prosecuted for such offenses are arrested by DHS's U.S. Border Patrol and referred to DOJ's [Department of Justice] USAOs [U.S. Attorney's Offices] for prosecution in federal court. GAO [Government Accountability Office] was asked to review the actions DOJ, DHS, and the federal judiciary took in response to the 2017 and 2018 memoranda. GAO reviewed (1) how DOJ prioritized prosecutions of immigration-related offenses in response to the Attorney General's memoranda, (2) what DHS and DOJ data from fiscal years 2014 through 2018 indicate about such prosecutions, and (3) resources that DOJ, DHS, and the federal judiciary used to support increased immigration-related prosecutions."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-12
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Measuring the Effectiveness of Surveillance Technology at the U.S. Southern Border
From the Thesis Abstract: "The United States' investment in southern border security has consistently been a topic of discussion regarding technological improvements and measurements of effectiveness. There have been multiple failed programs designed to combine infrastructure, personnel, and technology, ranging from the America's Shield Initiative (ASI) to the Secure Borders Initiative Network (SBInet). These efforts have resulted in billions of dollars of wasted funding. The latest initiative, named the Southwest Border Technology Plan, claims to use lessons learned from previous failures and focuses on integrating systems tailored to individual sectors of the border. A related issue is the use of apprehension rates and other passive metrics as the measures of effectiveness for the security of the southern border, continuing the historical inconsistency of inaccurate reporting methods. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has recognized the problem of inadequate measurement and is developing new methods with the assistance of improved data captured with biometric systems; however, the issue of inaccurate reporting remains. An alternate and more active option to consider for measuring security effectiveness is red teaming. This thesis explores the following questions: what technologies are currently utilized for border security and how can their effectiveness be measured? And, can red teaming be used to improve on existing measures of effectiveness?"
Naval Postgraduate School (U.S.)
Hudspeth, Robert A.
2019-12
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Selected Homeland Security Issues in the 116th Congress [Updated November 26, 2019]
From the Document: "In 2001, in the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 'homeland security' went from being a concept discussed among a relatively small cadre of policymakers and strategic thinkers to one broadly discussed among policymakers, including a broad swath of those in Congress. Debates over how to implement coordinated homeland security policy led to the passage of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (P.L. 107-296), the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and extensive legislative activity in the ensuing years. Initially, homeland security was largely seen as counterterrorism activities. Today, homeland security is a broad and complex network of interrelated issues, in policymaking terms. For example, in its executive summary, the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review issued in 2014 delineated the missions of the homeland security enterprise as follows: prevent terrorism and enhance security; secure and manage the borders; enforce and administer immigration laws; safeguard and secure cyberspace; and strengthen national preparedness and resilience. This report compiles a series of Insights by CRS [Congressional Research Services] experts across an array of homeland security issues that may come before the 116th Congress."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Painter, William L.; DeVine, Michael E.; Finklea, Kristin . . .
2019-11-26
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CBP, ICE, TSA, and Secret Service Have Taken Steps to Address Illegal and Prescription Opioid Use
From the Document: "We determined that from fiscal years 2015 through 2018, in the midst of a growing opioid epidemic, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and United States Secret Service (Secret Service) appropriately disciplined employees whose drug test results indicated illegal opioid use, based on their employee standards of conduct and tables of offenses and penalties. Additionally, during the same period, components either have implemented or are taking steps to evaluate whether employees using prescription opioids can effectively conduct their duties. For example, components established policies prohibiting the use of prescription opioids that may impact an employee's ability to work, in addition to requiring employees to report such prescription opioid use. Components have also implemented or are in the process of implementing measures to evaluate the fitness for duty of employees using prescription opioids. These policies establish consistent standards components can use to ensure they are allowing employees to use legally prescribed opioids, while also ensuring their workforce is capable of effectively performing their duties."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2019-11-21
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Test Results for Write-Protected Drive: Apricorn ASK3z Secure Key Firmware Version 0401
From the Introduction: "The Computer Forensics Tool Testing (CFTT) program is a joint project of the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (DHS S&T), the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Special Programs Office and Information Technology Laboratory (ITL). CFTT is supported by other organizations, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center, U.S. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division Electronic Crimes Program, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and U.S. Secret Service. The objective of the CFTT program is to provide measurable assurance to practitioners, researchers, and other applicable users that the tools used in computer forensics investigations provide accurate results. Accomplishing this requires the development of specifications and test methods for computer forensics tools and subsequent testing of specific tools against those specifications."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2019-11-20
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Israel and the Palestinians: Chronology of a Two-State Solution [Updated November 20, 2019]
From the Document: "The idea of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict developed gradually in the years after Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in the 1967 ArabIsraeli war. This product highlights the evolution of this idea. In 2002, U.S. policy became explicitly supportive of creating a Palestinian state alongside Israel. Since then, unsuccessful negotiating efforts and other developments have led many observers to doubt the viability of a twostate solution. These doubts have grown during the Trump Administration amid speculation that the plan the Administration has pledged to release may use economic measures to elicit Palestinian concessions on core issues of dispute with Israelis (security, borders, settlements, Jerusalem, Palestinian refugees), without specifically calling for an independent Palestinian state."
Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service
Zanotti, Jim
2019-11-20
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Major Management and Performance Challenges Facing the Department of Homeland Security [November 2019]
From the Document "Pursuant to the 'Reports Consolidation Act of 2000', the Office of Inspector General must issue an annual statement summarizing what the Inspector General considers the most serious management and performance challenges facing the Department of Homeland Security and assessing its progress in addressing them. [...] Based on our recent and prior audits, inspections, special reviews, and investigations, we consider the most serious management and performance challenges currently facing DHS to be: [1] Managing Programs and Operations Effectively and Efficiently during times of Changes in Leadership, Vacancies, and Hiring Difficulties; [2] Coordinating Efforts to Address the Sharp Increase in Migrants Seeking to Enter the United States through our Southern Border; [3] Ensuring Cybersecurity in an Age When Confidentiality, Integrity, and the Availability of Information Technology Are Essential to Mission Operations; [4] Ensuring Proper Financial Planning, Payments, and Internal Controls; and [5] Improving FEMA's Disaster Response and Recovery Efforts."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office of Inspector General
2019-11-13
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Antidumping and Countervailing Duties: Information on Actions by Commerce and CBP to Address Reported Weaknesses in Duty Collection Processes, Briefing for Senate and House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittees
From the Document: "The United States assesses antidumping (AD) duties on products imported at unfairly low prices and countervailing (CV) duties on products subsidized by foreign governments to address injury to domestic industries. The U.S. system for determining AD/CV duties involves the setting of an initial estimated duty rate upon the entry of goods into U.S. commerce, followed by the retrospective assessment of a final duty rate. The Department of Commerce (Commerce) sets an initial estimated AD/CV duty rate, based on a calculation of the estimated margin of dumping or the estimated amount of subsidy, and later determines a final duty rate based on the actual amount of dumping or subsidization that occurred. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is responsible for collecting the estimated duties owed at the time of entry, which are based on the initial rate. [...] In 2016, we reported that CBP continued to face challenges collecting payment on supplemental AD/CV duty bills, attributable in part to the U.S. government's retrospective assessment of final duties owed and the complex and lengthy process for determining final AD/CV duty rates. According to Commerce, the United States is the only major user of AD/CV duty trade remedies that implements a retrospective system of duty assessment."
United States. Government Accountability Office
2019-11-07
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Hiring in Rural States (Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress)
From the Executive Summary: "Hiring and retention of a qualified workforce continues to be a top priority for DHS in order to ensure mission readiness to safeguard the American people, our homeland, and our values. While much attention is placed in areas where there is a large DHS presence, such as the Southwest Border, DHS must ensure that it can operate fully and effectively in all parts of the United States, including in states with small populations. The purpose of this report is to describe the challenges in hiring and retaining staff in rural and noncontiguous states. This report contains data and analysis on these challenges and the effect that vacancies have on the Department's ability to accomplish its mission in these states."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Directorate for Management
2019-11-07
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Global Terrorism: Threats to the Homeland, Hearing Before the House Committee on Homeland Security, Testimony of Mr. Russell Travers, Acting Director, National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence
From the Testimony: "The US and its allies continue to pursue an aggressive global campaign against a complex array of terrorist actors. Operating across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, US and partner forces have killed or captured thousands of terrorist leaders and operatives since September 11th, exemplified this past weekend in the heroic removal of the brutal ISIS [Islamic State of Syria and Iraq] in Iraq and Syria leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. These removals degrade the ability of terrorists to organize, communicate, and strike the US. Working unilaterally or with partner-nations, the US has disrupted numerous attack plots, saving the lives of countless potential victims. At home, federal, state, and local intelligence and law enforcement agencies--working in close cooperation--continue to counter terrorist activity. Enhanced border security efforts have constrained groups' ability to infiltrate the US, and we now assess the most predominant terrorist threat to the Homeland to emanate from US-based lone actors. Additionally, the US government and private sector allies have made significant strides curtailing terrorists' online presence."
United States. Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Travers, Russell E.
2019-10-30
