Goal 1: Protect our Nation from Dangerous People

We have accomplished a lot in terms of continuing to protect our nation from dangerous people. Key accomplishments supporting this goal are as follows:

6,000 National Guard Deployed to Border: In support of the President's initiative to secure the border, 6,000 National Guard personnel were deployed to the Southwest border as part of Operation Jumpstart. In addition to the National Guard deployment, Border Patrol agent staffing increased by 8 percent, from over 11,200 to 12,349, as shown in the chart below.

"Catch and Return" Replaced "Catch and Release" Along the Borders: As part of the Secure Border Initiative, the Department ended the practice of "catch and release" along the Southern and Northern borders. In the past, we apprehended illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico and then released them on their own recognizance. Often these illegal aliens failed to return for their immigration hearings. In July of 2005, we were releasing up to 80 percent of non-Mexican illegal aliens because we did not have the bed space to hold them. As of August 2006, we are holding 100 percent. When people know they will be held in detention and then returned to their home country, it creates a strong disincentive to cross illegally in the first place. Ending this practice and replacing it with "catch and return" is a breakthrough in deterring illegal immigration on the Southern border. This accomplishment is one that many considered impossible in 2005 when only approximately 34 percent of apprehended non-Mexican aliens were detained.

Apprehension Rates Declined: FY 2006 showed a marked decrease in the apprehension rate due, in principle, to the end of "catch and release," the implementation of Operation Jumpstart, and the expanded use of expedited removal procedures. The graph below provides historical data by fiscal year for total apprehensions of both Mexican and non-Mexican aliens between U.S. ports of entry. CBP's Office of Border Patrol (OBP) made nearly 100,000 fewer apprehensions in FY 2006 than in FY 2005 due to these factors. This decline is represented below by quarter.

Border Security At and Between the Nation's Ports of Entry Increased: By deterring illegal immigration, security has been strengthened. DHS can more effectively target resources to control our borders with fewer alien crossings. As shown in the chart above, CBP Border Patrol agents reduced the number of apprehensions at the borders by more than 8 percent in fiscal year 2006. As a result of targeted coordinated enforcement efforts, CBP Border Patrol reduced non-Mexican illegal alien apprehensions by 35 percent.

CBP Increased Capability to Secure the Northern Border: CBP Air and Marine opened its third of five Air Branches planned for the Northern border of the United States. The Great Falls Air Branch in Montana joins the Bellingham, Washington, and Plattsburgh, New York, Air Branches in supporting Homeland Security efforts along the Northern tier.

Ports of Entry Inspections Formed First Line of Defense at Land Borders: CBP officers inspected 422 million travelers and more than 132 million cars, trucks, buses, trains, vessels, and aircraft. CBP officers inspected 1.19 million private vehicles, 11.48 million trucks, and more than 1 million aircraft.

ICE Set New Records for Worksite Enforcement and Compliance Enforcement: As depicted in the graph below, in FY 2006 more than 4,300 arrests and apprehensions were made in ICE worksite enforcement cases, more than seven times the arrests and apprehensions in FY 2002, the last full year of operations for the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS). ICE completed 5,956 compliance enforcement investigations resulting in the administrative arrest of 1,710 overstay and status violators, a 75 percent increase over the number of administrative arrests in FY 2005.

ICE Set New Record for Alien Removals: ICE removed 189,670 illegal aliens from the country in fiscal year 2006, a 12 percent increase over the number of removals during the prior fiscal year. As shown in the following chart, ICE also increased its detention bed space by 6,700 and is now funded for a total of 27,500 beds for FY 2007.

US-VISIT's Biometric Program Kept Terrorists and Other Criminals Out of Our Country: US-VISIT's biometric program increased watch list hits by 185 percent at consular offices. Keeping terrorists and other criminals out of our country protects the American people, while facilitating visits from legitimate travelers. In FY 2006 there were 2,558 watch list hits at consular offices, up from 897 hits in FY 2005. The use of biometrics has allowed DHS to deny entry to more than 1,100 known criminals and visa violators.

TSA Responded to Liquid Explosive Threat: Although over 600 million people fly each year, the Transportation Security Administration was able to perform necessary passenger screening operations preventing and protecting against adverse actions while attaining a new high in customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction reached 81 percent, a new high for screening operations at the Nation's security checkpoints. In addition, in response to the foiled terror plot in England, TSA trained its 43,000 security officers to address the threat of liquid explosives. After two days, security wait times returned to normal levels. Six weeks later, after conducting extensive explosive testing with our Federal partners, TSA again proved its flexibility by modifying its ban on liquids by allowing limited quantities onboard aircraft. Again, efficiency was not seriously affected and in fact wait times during the Thanksgiving holiday in 2006 were slightly lower than in 2005.

U.S. Coast Guard Migrant Interdiction Efforts Contributed to Border Security: The Coast Guard evaluates its migrant interdiction effectiveness by counting the number of undocumented migrants from four primary source countries (Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and the Peoples Republic of China) against the combined estimated yearly migration threat from these countries. There were 5,552 successful migrant arrivals out of an estimated threat of 51,134 migrants in FY 2006, yielding a deterrence and interdiction rate of 89 percent.

Intelligence Campaign Plan for Border Security (ICP): The ICP, managed by the Office of Intelligence and Analysis, is a departmental planning effort to provide comprehensive and coordinated intelligence support for the full spectrum of the Department's border security operations. The ICP is linking DHS intelligence resources, and those of state and local partners, with the Intelligence Community in order to deliver actionable intelligence to front-line operators and to fuse national intelligence with law enforcement information. As part of the ICP, we began developing and implementing, in partnership with the Director of National Intelligence, a robust strategy for collection and analysis of border security intelligence to support our operational missions. In addition, DHS intelligence analysts draw on their extensive experience in the Intelligence Community to help ensure that the Department gets full benefit from national collection assets.

The FY 2008 budget request includes funding to continue the progress made in protecting our Nation from dangerous people. Examples are as follows:

• Total funding of $1 billion is requested for the SBInet program to support the deployment of an integrated infrastructure and technology solutions for effective control of the border to include fencing and virtual barriers to prevent illegal entry into the United States.
• Total funding of $778 million will provide for 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents as well as the facilities to house the agents, the support personnel, and equipment necessary to gain operational control of our borders. This will bring the total number of Border Patrol agents to 17,819 at the end of FY 2008. This will keep us on track to achieve the President's goal of doubling the Border Patrol by the time he leaves office.
• Increased funding of $252 million is requested for implementation of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) at land ports of entry. The requested resources will advance the WHTI goal of ensuring that all people arriving at U.S. ports of entry have a valid and appropriate means of identification and can be processed in an efficient manner.
• An increase of $146.2 million for the transition to 10-Print and IDENT/IAFIS Interoperability. The funding will provide the capability to biometrically screen foreign visitors requesting entry to the United States through the collection of 10-print (slap) capture at enrollment. US-VISIT, along with the Departments of State and Justice, will be able to capture ten fingerprints rather than the current two, as well as increased interoperability between DHS' Automated Biometric Identification System (IDENT) and Justice's Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS).
• An increase of $224.2 million in funding will support the Transportation Security Administration's screening operations. This includes funding for the Transportation Security Officers (TSO), Document Checkers, Career Progression Program, and procurement and installation of checkpoint support and explosives detection systems. TSA has evolved its TSO workforce to be highly responsive and effective in addressing the variety of potential threats, such as those presented in August 2006 by liquids, aerosols and gels. In FY 2008, TSA will add an important layer of defense for aviation security by assuming responsibility of document checking.
• An increase of $38 million in funding will support development of the Secure Flight system. This includes funding for hardware procurement, operations ramp-up and training, and network interface engineering between the Secure Flight and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) network. Secure Flight will strengthen watch list screening and vet all domestic air travelers.
• An increase of $28.7 million for the ICE Criminal Alien Program (CAP) will ensure the safety of the American public through the addition of 22 CAP teams. These teams will identify and remove incarcerated criminal aliens so they are not released back into the general population.
• An increase of estimated fee revenue of $16.5 million in funding will support the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) which will establish an integrated, credential-based, identity verification program through the use of biometric technology. In order to gain unescorted access to the secure areas within the Nation's transportation system, transportation workers who need access to these areas will go through identity verification, a satisfactory background check and be issued a biometrically verifiable identity card to be used with local access systems. The TWIC final rule has very recently been issued, and initial enrollment for this program is scheduled to begin in March 2007.
• A total of $788.1 million is requested for the Coast Guard's Integrated Deepwater System. This funding will: complete the acquisition of four National Security Cutters; fund engineering and design costs for the Replacement Patrol Boat; and purchase four additional Maritime Patrol Aircraft. These long-awaited upgrades to its fleet will strengthen the Coast Guard's ability to safeguard our seaports from terrorists seeking to enter the country or transport dangerous weapons or materials.
• A funding request of $30 million for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services' Employment Eligibility Verification (EEV) Program. Through this voluntary web-based program U.S. employers are able to quickly verify the employment eligibility of their employees, helping them avoid the hiring of unauthorized workers.
• Total funding of $263 million requested for the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) will provide the most current basic and advanced training for our Nation's law enforcement officers. FLETC will provide training for over 53,000 students in FY 2008 including an estimated 4,350 Border Patrol Agents, 60 ICE Investigators and 530 ICE Detention Personnel in support of the Secure Border Initiative.