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Border Security and Immigration Policy

Border Security and Immigration Policy (BSI) provides policy development and analysis across the Department’s mission priorities, including foreign investment, trade, transport security, immigration, and America’s policies.

BSI develops and coordinates policy for security of transportation systems and the global supply chain and advises on policy matters and leadership decisions regarding the impact of trade and immigration/migration flows on border and cargo security. BSI leads DHS engagement with governments, international organizations, and regional groups in the Western Hemisphere on the full range of issues within the DHS portfolio. BSI serves as the Department’s primary representative to the National Security Council Interagency Policy Committee’s (IPC)s related to the topics outlined above and to include Transborder Security, Maritime Security, Immigration, the Arctic, Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), country-specific IPCs for Western Hemisphere Countries, Beyond the Border, 21st Century Border, and North American Leaders’ Summit. BSI also supports the Department’s engagement with Western Hemisphere countries and leads intra-DHS policy deliberations and processes.

Immigration Policy covers all issues that relate to how immigration laws and policies are implemented and administered. It also identifies gaps and inconsistencies in current immigration programs and works with Components and other Agencies to resolve these gaps and inconsistencies and develop new immigration initiatives.

The Americas team accomplishes the homeland security mission through direct engagement with key international partners in the Western Hemisphere, represents DHS in U.S. and foreign fora concerning DHS international equities, and coordinates the international activities of DHS components to align them to DHS priorities. The Americas team is responsible for the overall strategic and policy relationship with foreign partners in the Western Hemisphere and plays an advising role within DHS for domestic programs with international implications.  The Americas team supports senior-level engagement with counterparts throughout the hemisphere and represents DHS in the U.S. interagency on matters touching DHS’s interests and missions.

The Trade and Transport Policy unit is responsible for the Department’s policy development and coordination functions for trade, transportation and cargo security, and the foreign investment process.  In the area of trade, the office remains the primary interlocutor for trade facilitation and enforcement, and economic security issues.  In addition, the Trade and Transport office is responsible for policies across air, land and sea transportation systems, as well as the movement and security of cargo across domains.  The Foreign Investment and Risk Management team is the Departments’ primary representative to the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and manages the associated caseload and risk mitigation process.”

The Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration Statistics (OIS) leads the collection and dissemination to Congress and the public of statistical information and analysis useful in evaluating the social, economic, environmental, and demographic impact of immigration laws, migration flows, and immigration enforcement; this information is summarized in OIS’ flagship publication, the Yearbook of Immigration Statistics. OIS also establishes standards of reliability and validity for the Department’s immigration statistics; and it develops other immigration-related reports and conducts research at the direction of the Secretary.

Last Updated: 01/11/2022
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