Taxonomy term

The Perils of Illegal Border Crossing

The Trump Administration has repeatedly referenced the dangers of trekking to and attempting to illegally enter the southwest border of the United States. As the perilous realities of these journeys have gone underreported, the Department of Homeland Security has compiled a list of the illegality stemming from trafficking and smuggling, the health and safety risks of entrusting someone to illegally take you across the border, and the dangerous transnational criminal organizations that exploit the porous southwest border to bolster their numbers in the interior.

FY2017 Border Security Metrics Report

The Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act directs the Department of Homeland Security “to develop metrics … to measure the effectiveness of security between ports of entry, at ports of entry, in the maritime environment and to measure the effectiveness of the aviation assets and operations of Air and Marine Operations of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.” This report meets this direction by providing the most comprehensive, rigorous set of border security metrics ever produced by the Department, along with a thorough discussion of the strengths and limitations of the Department’s available methodological approaches.

Statement from DHS Press Secretary on June Border Numbers

On July 5, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Press Secretary Tyler Q. Houlton released the following statement on U.S. Customs and Border Protection's (CBP) Southwest Border Migration numbers for June:

Fact Sheet: Zero-Tolerance Prosecution and Family Reunification

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) have a process established to ensure that family members know the location of their children and have regular communication after separation to ensure that those adults who are subject to removal are reunited with their children for the purposes of removal. The United States government knows the location of all children in its custody and is working to reunite them with their families.

Memorandum from Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen on the Rescission Of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

CRCL is Experiencing a High Volume of Calls

The DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL) has received an extraordinarily large volume of calls regarding the administration’s zero-tolerance policy. We are working diligently to document every contact we receive and are attempting to keep our voice mailbox clear for additional messages.

Opioids

The opioid epidemic is devastating too many American communities. At the Department of Homeland Security, we are working with our partners here and overseas to stop the flow of illicit opioids at the source and interdicting narcotics before they reach our borders.

DHS Officials Discuss Efforts to Combat the Opioid Crisis

On June 19, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials participated in a hearing titled "Opioids in the Homeland: DHS Coordination with State and Local Partners to Fight the Epidemic." The hearing took place in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and was held by the House Committee on Homeland Security’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Management Efficiency.

DHS Secretary Nielsen's Remarks on the Illegal Immigration Crisis

On June 18, 2018, Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen M. Nielsen delivered remarks at the White House Press Briefing on the illegal immigration crisis at the southern border.

Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen Remarks at National Sheriffs’ Association Conference

Secretary Nielsen delivered a keynote address at the National Sheriffs’ Association’s Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on June 18th, 2018. During her remarks, she reiterated DHS’ commitment to partnering with the National Sheriffs’ Association in countering transnational criminal organizations, illegal immigration, human trafficking, and the opioid crisis.

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Border Security