Leadership Journal

The DHS Open Government Initiative

2010-02-09T12:15:00.000-05:00

In recent days, the Department of Homeland Security has taken a major step toward its priority to create a more open, transparent, efficient, and effective government. As part of President Obama's Open Government Directive, we have now launched the DHS Open Government Initiative.

The Administration has set four goals for its Open Government effort, calling them the "cornerstone of an open government." The goals DHS will seek are:

improving transparency by providing more information and data about the Department's activities in a timely and accessible manner;
increasing participation by utilizing new tools and strategies to encourage input and feedback from the public;
expanding collaboration with our many partners, both inside and outside government; and
encouraging innovation to find new ways to make the government more open and efficient and save taxpayers money.

The Department of Homeland Security wants your input on our Open Government Plan. How should we increase our transparency to the public? What is the best way to foster a culture of participation? Do you have ideas to help increase collaboration? We want to hear your thoughts and ideas.

The online participation tool will be available until March 19, 2010. You can contribute your own ideas and rate idea others have submitted.

Chris Cummiskey
Chief of Staff, Management Directorate

Making Progress on Enhancing Aviation Security

2010-01-26T13:57:00.004-05:00

Last week, I was in Toledo, Spain, and Geneva, Switzerland, to meet with our European counterparts and aviation industry leaders on one of the Department of Homeland Security's major priorities: working with our international partners to strengthen aviation security standards following the attempted terrorist attack against Northwest Flight 253 on December 25th.

The attempted attack underscores that boarding a plane in one airport can give you access to almost any airport in the world. This means that we need a truly global approach to aviation security. While the failed bombing attempt took place on a U.S. bound flight, it involved at least four airports on three continents, and threatened the lives of citizens from 17 countries.

In Toledo, I found broad consensus on this point and a clear sense of urgency to take immediate action to strengthen security measures. Specifically, my European counterparts and I signed a joint declaration affirming our collective commitment to strengthening information sharing and passenger vetting, deploying additional proven security technologies, and bolstering international aviation security standards.

I found a similarly strong consensus in Geneva where I met with the leaders of the airlines that are part of the International Air Transport Association — which represents approximately 230 airlines and more than 90 percent of the world's air traffic. We agreed that government and the private sector must work collaboratively both to develop enhanced international security standards and–most importantly — to effectively implement them.

These meetings were the first in a series to bring about international agreement on stronger aviation security standards and procedures. Over the next few months, the International Civil Aviation Organization is facilitating several regional aviation security meetings where we will build on the progress we made in Toledo and Geneva.

Together, we can and will strengthen an international aviation system that, for half a century, has served as an extraordinary engine for progress and prosperity for the United States and around the world.

Janet Napolitano

New Measures for Aviation Security and Information Sharing

2010-01-08T14:44:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, I joined White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs and Assistant to the President for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security John Brennan to announce recommendations that DHS has made to the President for improving the technology and procedures used to protect air travel from acts of terrorism.

The attempted attack on Northwest Flight 253 is a powerful illustration that terrorists will go to great lengths to try to defeat the security measures that have been put in place since Sept. 11, 2001. The steps I outlined yesterday will strengthen aviation security—at home and abroad—through new partnerships, technology and law enforcement efforts.

These steps include

Re-evaluating and modifying the criteria and process used to create terrorist watch lists—including adjusting the process by which names are added to the “No-Fly” and “Selectee” lists.
Establishing a partnership on aviation security between DHS and the Department of Energy and its National Laboratories in order to develop new and more effective technologies to deter and disrupt known threats and protect against new ways by which terrorists could seek to board an aircraft.
Accelerating deployment of advanced imaging technology to provide greater explosives detection capabilities—and encourage foreign aviation security authorities to do the same—in order to identify materials such as those used in the attempted Dec. 25 attack. The Transportation Security Administration currently has 40 machines deployed throughout the United States, and plans to deploy 300 additional units in 2010.
Strengthening the presence and capacity of aviation law enforcement—by deploying law enforcement officers from across DHS to serve as Federal Air Marshals to increase security aboard U.S.-bound flights.
Working with international partners to strengthen international security measures and standards for aviation security.

Additionally, last week I dispatched Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute, Assistant Secretary for Policy David Heyman and other senior Department officials to meet with leaders from major international airports in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Australia and South America to review security procedures and technology being used to screen passengers on U.S.-bound flights and work on ways to collectively bolster our tactics for defeating terrorists

Later this month, I will travel to Spain for the first of a series of global meetings with my international counterparts intended to bring about broad consensus on new international aviation security standards and procedures.

These steps come in addition to the Department’s immediate actions following the attempted attack on Dec. 25, 2009—including enhanced security measures at domestic airports and new international security directives that mandate enhanced screening of every individual flying into the United States from or through nations that are State Sponsors of Terrorism or other countries of interest and threat-based, random enhanced screening for all other passengers traveling on U.S.-bound flights.

I want to thank the Department of Homeland Security personnel who have been working day-in and day-out to implement these security measures since Christmas—as well as the traveling public for their continued patience. The public remains one of our most valuable layers of defense against acts of terrorism.

Janet Napolitano

Honoring Our Veterans

2009-11-11T13:44:00.001-05:00

As we honor the service and sacrifice of our nation’s veterans on this Veteran’s Day, I hope you’ll join me in honoring the tens of thousands of veterans who serve our country as members of Department of Homeland Security.

DHS’ civilian workforce includes approximately 47,000 veterans, comprising 25 percent of all employees—including Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute—in addition to the 42,000 active duty members of the U.S. Coast Guard.

Every day, these men and women play a critical role in our nation’s security – guarding against terrorism, securing our borders, enforcing immigration laws, preparing for and responding to disasters, and strengthening our Department’s operations.

Monday, I joined President Obama as he signed an Executive Order establishing the Veterans Employment Initiative to increase employment opportunities in the federal government and help recently hired veterans succeed in their jobs.

Engaging veterans and veterans’ organizations at the Department continues to be one of my top priorities. We want and need veterans to lend their unique skills, experience, and clear commitment to service to our mission. That’s why we have set a goal to have 50,000 veterans on-board at the Department by 2012.

To help us achieve that goal, today we launched a new website specifically for veterans – www.dhs.gov/veterans. This one-stop-shop contains information about hiring and business opportunities for veterans, ways to get involved in community-based efforts like Citizen Corps, and special veteran programs such as Operation Warfighter and Wounded Warrior, which provide employment opportunities for severely wounded or recovering service members to assist their transition back to the military or civilian workforce.

We’re proud to have so many veterans at DHS contributing to our mission every day. On Veterans Day and every day throughout the year, let’s continue to give thanks to veterans, both inside and outside the Department, for all they've done to serve our country.

Janet Napolitano

Operation ATLAS: Targeting Illegal Cash Couriers Worldwide

2009-11-06T17:30:00.004-05:00

Today Secretary Napolitano and World Customs Organization Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya joined together in Brussels to announce the results of an unprecedented international law enforcement operation that led to the seizure of more than $3.5 million in smuggled cash over a five day period.

Dubbed Operation ATLAS (Assess, Target, Link, Analyze and Share), this groundbreaking investigation brought together law enforcement agencies from over 80 countries worldwide to target and disrupt cash couriers--people employed by criminal organizations to move their illicit funds across international borders.

Operation ATLAS focused on identifying these illicit cash couriers by employing several different methods to detect cash carried in baggage, on travelers and in shipments aboard commercial flights at designated airports. ATLAS also promoted the sharing of information and intelligence among customs agencies. In the United States, this operation was led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), with participation from Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and coordinated by the World Customs Organization.

Operation ATLAS is the latest and largest example of how increased international cooperation among law enforcement and customs agencies has resulted in the identification of new smuggling routes and methods used by criminal organizations throughout the world.

In September, ICE worked closely with law enforcement partners in Colombia and Mexico to uncover more than $41 million smuggled in shipping containers bound for Colombia. And in July, an ICE-led multilateral operation targeting cash couriers seized more than $3.5 million and detected an additional $4.2 million in undeclared currency at ports of entry around the globe.

This level of multilateral coordination is truly unprecedented and illustrates how the Department and our international allies are working together to shut down criminal organizations’ old ways of doing business.

John Morton
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

U.S. and EU Agree on Data Protection Principles

2009-11-03T09:11:00.006-05:00

This week the United States and European Union achieved a major milestone in data protection and data sharing. The U.S. – EU Justice and Home Affairs Ministerial completed a set of common principles that unite our approaches to protecting personal data when exchanging information for law enforcement and security purposes.

The Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State have worked with experts from the EU Presidency and Commission for the past three years to develop these principles. Leadership on both sides of the Atlantic share a deeply rooted commitment to the protection of personal data and privacy when it comes to information sharing. This practical approach will enable Europe and the United States to remain global leaders in privacy protection as we work to protect our citizens from common threats to our security.

The next step is negotiating a binding international EU-U.S. agreement based on these common principles to facilitate further cooperation while ensuring the availability of full protection for our citizens. The Department of Homeland Security looks forward to being a part of those efforts in the months ahead.

Mary Ellen Callahan
Chief Privacy Officer
U.S. Department of Homeland Security

EU-US Joint Statement on "Enhancing transatlantic cooperation in the area of Justice, Freedom and Security" (PDF, 7 pages - 116KB)

Still Time to Contribute to a GreenGov

2009-10-28T16:37:00.006-04:00

President Obama signed an executive order earlier this month instructing all federal agencies to develop plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by year 2020. The Department of Homeland Security is already a leader in this area, thanks in part to our Efficiency Review that Secretary Napolitano launched in March to make the Department a leaner, smarter agency better equipped to protect the nation.

As part of the Efficiency Review, the Department is already taking important steps to build a green culture. For example, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is configuring its computers to automatically shut down or stand by when they are not being used. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will use solar power to reduce energy usage at its new border patrol station in El Paso. And the new Coast Guard headquarters will be LEED-certified and incorporate a number of innovative, environmentally friendly design features.

There's no doubt there are many more ideas out there.

The President's GreenGov Challenge is a great way to help us find and implement them - at the Department of Homeland Security and across the federal government. Please visit www.WhiteHouse.gov/GreenGov to submit your ideas or vote on the most promising submissions by this Saturday, October 31st. Your voice will make a major difference in creating a more efficient and sustainable federal government.

Chris Cummiskey
Chief of Staff, Management Directorate

Securing America Against the Threat of Cyber Attack

2009-10-20T16:41:00.019-04:00

Earlier today, I addressed a live web audience to talk about our nation’s shared responsibility for our cybersecurity. President Obama has been speaking regularly on this important issue, and has described the growing number of attacks on our networks as “one of the most serious economic and national security threats our nation faces.”

My remarks today were a chance to speak clearly and candidly about what cybersecurity really means for our nation, and to expand on the shared responsibility we all have for online security. You can view the remarks below.

Viewing this video requires the Flash 9 plugin.

The full transcript is also available.

As I mention in my remarks, you can read more about our Department’s cyber efforts, and find cyber security job opportunities at DHS.Gov/Cyber. We plan to host more online events like this in the future, and will in the coming days post answers to many of the excellent questions that viewers submitted during the address.

Yours very truly,
Janet Napolitano

Building a Ready and Resilient Nation

2009-09-29T13:40:00.004-04:00

Over the past few months I have been laying out the five main areas of responsibility of the Department.

In July, I outlined our approach to our first priority – countering the threat of a terrorist attack. In August, I spoke about the new approach we’re taking to border security.

Today, in remarks at the American Red Cross, I’m speaking about another important mission: readiness and resilience.

Our nation may be better prepared than we were before 9/11. But there is much more we can – and should – do. And to get there, we must treat our nation’s preparedness as a shared responsibility, one where everyone has a role to play.

Civilians are usually the first to arrive in a crisis, and history shows that they are critical in those important first minutes. And these citizen responders can be an even more potent force by:

Taking CPR training from the Red Cross
Training with a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)
Knowing when to take shelter or evacuate
Pre-planning evacuation routes and where to meet after a disaster strikes

If a disaster struck your hometown, that training, those skills, and those plans would free up first responders and emergency personnel to focus on those most in need.

So today, I’m calling on all Americans, across the country, to do two things.

First, take these basic steps:

get an emergency kit;
make a family reunification plan; and
become informed about the types of emergencies your community is most likely to encounter.

Second, I’m asking all of us who are in book clubs, prayer groups, school boards, alumni associations, or other community organizations, simply to raise your hand and ask, “What’s our plan?”

Together, we can build a culture of readiness and resilience, and together we can build a more secure future.

Janet Napolitano

Exciting Changes at USCIS

2009-09-22T11:55:00.005-04:00

As the new Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, I’d like to take a moment to introduce myself to readers of the Leadership Journal and to share a few thoughts with you about my vision for our agency, some of the principles that will guide our efforts, and some exciting changes underway that will help us better serve the public.

I came to the United States in 1960, having fled Cuba with my parents and my sister. I was later granted citizenship through the beneficence of the United States government. I understand deeply the gravity as well as the nobility of our mission at USCIS: to administer our country’s immigration laws efficiently and with fairness, honesty, and integrity.

I believe there are four principles that should help us define how we work. First, we must be a customer-focused agency, always mindful of the needs and views of those who seek our services. To this end, we must actively solicit input and feedback from stakeholders and the public so that a variety of views inform our decisions. Second, we must be good and careful stewards of taxpayer resources, cutting costs and improving efficiency wherever possible. Third, we must be transparent in our efforts; the public deserves and is entitled to know how we operate and what our successes and our challenges are. And finally, we must strive for consistency in our operations so that the services we provide meet the same high standards regardless of where they are sought.

Today our agency took a major step forward to put these ideas into action. After much hard work, including substantial feedback from the public, we launched a new and vastly improved USCIS.gov website. This new one-stop-shop will provide a range of tools and features for those looking for information, including case status updates. For example:

The site features a My Case Status tool that allows users to type in a receipt number and find out what processing step their case is in, how that fits into the overall process, and what the local case processing times are.
A National Dashboard that allows the public to compare national processing volumes and trends and download raw data.
A better search engine so it is easier to find what a user is looking for.
New options to receive status updates via email or text alerts.

This new website reflects our commitment at USCIS to continually improve how we do business. It is one of many changes in the works that will help us be a more effective, transparent, and responsive agency. Stay tuned for more to come. In the meantime, I hope you find the new site useful.

Alejandro Mayorkas
Director, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Fact vs. Fiction: Correcting the AP on Port Infrastructure Funding

2009-08-27T16:29:00.003-04:00

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provided critical funding to improve security along our borders at our land ports of entry. Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, is utilizing $420 million in Recovery Act funding to replace aging infrastructure and enhance safety at 43 ports of entry across the country- through an objective, thorough, and transparent process.

On August 26, the Associated Press ran a misleading story that portrayed this process as biased and secretive. This is absolutely incorrect. The AP was provided information which it chose not to include in its story that clearly demonstrates how our Recovery dollars are being put to work quickly and transparently.

The AP claimed that political considerations helped determine which ports received ARRA funding. In reality, CBP and the General Services Administration used a thorough, objective, and transparent process based on the merits of each project to select the ports of entry that will be modernized with ARRA funds.

This process was long in the making. The assessment to rank the conditions and needs of all 163 U.S. land ports of entry started in 2003. CBP incorporated over 60 factors across four categories, ranging from health and life safety concerns to workload growth and space and site deficiencies. For ARRA funds, which were tied to construction timelines, CBP also identified and analyzed a range of factors that could impact the feasibility of meeting these timelines. This list is public on Recovery.gov.

The AP also alleges that the Department chose to use ARRA funding for small, low-traffic northern border ports rather than for busier ports along the southwest border, such as the port in Laredo, Texas.

But what the AP story doesn’t reflect is how the funding process works and an understanding of how ownership of a port restricts the funding process. The Department received ARRA funding specifically for ports owned by CBP, which includes 39 ports of entry along the northern border and four along the southwest border. None of these CBP owned ports are in Laredo. GSA owns or leases all the Laredo port facilities, part of the 38 southwest border land ports that GSA controls.
Most of the ports CBP owns are small, rural, low-traffic ports along the northern border. Most are four decades old and unequipped to meet the security needs of a modern, post-9/11 world.

Finally, the AP wrote that CBP had a secretive process for determining port funding and refused to provide justifications for its decisions. This is patently false. Prior to the AP’s story, CBP had published the prioritized list of ARRA port projects, along with detailed information describing the review process, on Recovery.gov.

The Department provided the AP with unprecedented access to a wide array of additional information about final project selections, including a nearly three-hour briefing and access to all supporting documents. CBP also provided written, on-the-record justifications for why specific ports were not eligible for ARRA funds due to feasibility and project readiness issues. We also made available to the AP numerous high-level policymakers for interviews on this topic.

In every instance, we provided the AP with information, which – if reported fully and accurately – would have addressed their questions. Americans should have confidence in the objectivity and openness with which ARRA funds have been dedicated to port projects and both CBP and the Department of Homeland Security are committed to upholding this responsibility. To find out more about how ARRA funds are being used in your community and across the country, visit Recovery.gov.

David Aguilar
Acting Deputy Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Saluting the Contribution of Veterans to Our Department

2009-08-27T10:54:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had the honor of addressing more than a thousand of our nation’s veterans at the American Legion Annual Conference in Louisville, Kentucky.

Veterans hold a special place in our country, but they also hold a special place at the Department of Homeland Security. Roughly a quarter of our workforce consists of veterans, including more than 2,100 service-disabled veterans. Every day these men and women, who already have sacrificed so much for our nation, are helping achieve our mission to secure the country.

I told veterans gathered at the conference that we are firmly committed to increasing their ranks at DHS. Indeed, we have set a goal of employing 50,000 veterans at the Department by 2012. We are well on our way to achieve that goal – hiring 3,000 veterans since January of this year.

But our efforts aren’t just about numbers. We are also expanding partnerships and outreach to veterans across the United States. For example, we are creating greater opportunities for Veteran Owned Small Businesses and Service Disabled Veteran Owned Small Businesses to do business with the Department. Last year, veteran-owned small businesses won more than $931 million in prime contracts from DHS.

And our first-ever job fair for veterans drew more than 750 participants this summer.

Through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, we’ve also continued to grant citizenship to tens of thousands of our men and women in uniform who have become American citizens while at the same time serving in our Armed Forces. We will continue to do even more this year and in the future.

In Louisville, I thanked the American Legion, as well as the American Legion Auxiliary, for their strong support for programs like Citizen Corps, which is creating more prepared communities through service and citizen engagement.

I also called on the Legion to continue to support these and other efforts to help build a culture of preparedness and resiliency in America. That includes taking action to boost personal preparedness and spread the word about important resources like Ready.gov. This is especially important as we prepare for the possibility of an H1N1 outbreak this fall.

We must bring a sense of shared responsibility to this effort. Veterans are in a unique position to help us meet this challenge, as they’ve done throughout our nation’s history. We are proud to have them as members of the Department and critical partners in our nation’s homeland security mission.

Janet Napolitano

Steady Progress on the Gulf Coast

2009-08-17T19:50:00.004-04:00

Earlier today, I was at the Southern University of New Orleans (SUNO), which sustained major damage from Hurricane Katrina nearly four years ago. Today, there are signs of progress across the campus, and I was proud to announce an additional $32 million in funding to continue the rebuilding of SUNO.

Overall, more than $400 million has been obligated under this Administration toward the repair and replacement of educational facilities and projects throughout Louisiana.

Thanks to a concerted effort by FEMA, our Gulf Coast Rebuilding Office, and all the federal agencies involved, Gulf Coast communities have a strong ally in their rebuilding efforts.

Certainly, when we look back on the last four years, there’s much to learn from. But right now:

We have the right people in place
We are cutting through bureaucratic red tape and getting decisions made faster, and
We are addressing the most difficult challenges head-on rather than working around them.

What this all means is that – from the federal perspective – we are keeping the promises that we've made.

Last February, we committed to working to help resolve the lingering problems that many families were having with housing. Since then, we have assisted more than 3,200 Louisiana households move out of FEMA temporary housing and into more suitable, longer-term, functional housing.

Overall, roughly 99 percent of households displaced by hurricanes Katrina and Rita have found longer-term means of housing.

Back in March, we created two teams to aid in the resolution of disputed projects. The Joint Expediting Team and the Unified Public Assistance Project Decision Team together have since resolved 73 disputed projects. And two weeks ago, we announced an additional avenue for fairly and promptly resolving public assistance projects through independent arbitration panels.

We've made significant progress over the past seven months, but at the same time, we all acknowledge how far we still need to go.

Rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and making it stronger and more resilient, is a long-term project that requires the engagement of federal state and local government, communities, faith groups, and the private sector.

Today, I shared the message that this Administration is committed to rebuilding in the long term. Our expectations are high, and I look forward to coming back to see more signs of progress soon.

Janet Napolitano

Guidance for Schools on H1N1

2009-08-07T15:45:00.004-04:00

This morning I joined Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to discuss our nation’s ongoing response to the H1N1 flu pandemic.

H1N1 may have retreated from the headlines, but it is still very much a focus for our three Departments and for the White House. One area, in particular, that is getting our full attention is making sure that schools across the country have clear guidance about how to reduce the spread of the H1N1 virus as school begins this fall.

There are 55 million students and 7 million educators in 130,000 public and private schools nationwide. This is a significant part of our population. As any parent or teacher knows, the flu can spread quickly in schools. It is important that we take common-sense steps to reduce exposure to this virus.

For this reason, today we released guidance developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that will provide local officials and educators with a set of tools to make informed decisions about how to decrease exposure to the flu while limiting the disruption of day-to-day learning. We encourage schools to consult with other local leaders, including health officials, when making these decisions.

Of course, the decision to close a school is one of the most challenging for any community. When schools are closed, parents must either take leave from work or find child-care. At the same time, we know that in some cases school closures may reduce the numbers of people who are exposed and become ill.

As long as the H1N1 severity remains at the current level, our recommended response at this time is for schools to stay open, stay clean, and to send sick students and staff home.

Specifically, this means that ill students and staff should be separated and given protective gear such as a mask until they can leave the school. Frequent hand washing and coughing and sneezing etiquette remain essential. Schools should be routinely cleaned to prevent the spread of germs. Students and teachers who are most susceptible to illness, should seek medical care immediately if they get flu-like symptoms.

The key is remaining flexible in our response to this situation so that we can adapt quickly as the situation changes. I encourage you to visit www.flu.gov for more information and to stay informed as flu season approaches. Thank you for doing your part to be prepared and to help reduce the spread of H1N1.

Janet Napolitano

Protecting an Important Habitat Near St. Elizabeths

2009-07-21T14:06:00.004-04:00

You may have read media accounts that our headquarters consolidation project at St. Elizabeths could endanger a pair of nesting bald eagles. But much of what has been written is inaccurate. In fact, we are taking great care to not disturb the eagles’ habitat. I want to take this opportunity to explain what the Department and the General Services Administration (GSA), which is developing the campus on our behalf, is doing to preserve the habitat.

The bald eagle is revered by the Department just as it is by all Americans. As the symbol of our country, it is on the Great Seal of the United States of America and is represented on the Department’s seal as well. From the outset, therefore, we have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to preserving the eagle habitat.

The eagles’ nest is not on the St. Elizabeths Campus property. However, GSA worked with the Fish and Wildlife Service in developing the project’s Master Plan to identify and preserve a buffer of land associated with the eagle habitat. The Environmental Impact Statement further determined that redevelopment of the St. Elizabeths West Campus would not have any kind of adverse impact on the eagles. Most importantly, there is no development planned in the buffer area.

A new access road for the 14,000 DHS employees who will work at St. Elizabeths will run along the western St. Elizabeths property line and through the National Park Service (NPS) Shepherd Parkway, directly adjacent to Route 295. The access road does not run through the protected zone for the eagles. Our plan has the access road located as close to the property line and route 295 as possible, which maximizes the distance from the eagle protection zone. GSA has offered to transfer the eagle protection acreage on the St. Elizabeths West Campus to the NPS as mitigation for the impact of the new access road running through their property.

We will monitor construction and development activities to ensure the habitat remains intact. And we will continue to responsibly develop St. Elizabeths to meet our mission, while respecting its rich heritage, its National Historic Landmark status, and all of our neighbors - including the residents of Ward 8 and our nesting eagles. We look forward to the day when the American and Department of Homeland Security flags will fly at St. Elizabeths along with the eagles.

Elaine Duke
Under Secretary, Management

Working Together to Prepare

2009-07-10T14:30:00.002-04:00

Yesterday, I joined Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Education Secretary Arne Duncan in hosting the first-ever H1N1 Flu Summit at the National Institutes of Health. This summit brought together leaders from across government—federal, state, and local—and the public health community to continue our ongoing preparations and response to the H1N1 pandemic.

Experts say that the virus may return in a more virulent strain during this fall’s flu season. This isn’t a cause for panic; rather, it’s a chance to reinvigorate our preparedness efforts across the country.

The most critical steps to containing this virus won’t take place in Washington, they’ll take place in homes, schools, communities and businesses across the country.

Families should consider how they would take care of children if schools close. Businesses should have plans for employees to work from home if needed. State, local, and tribal governments and community organizations should have procedures in place to deal with a future outbreak.

I encourage everyone to visit www.flu.gov to learn more about the steps you can take and make sure you have the most accurate, up-to-date information.

Here at the Department of Homeland Security, we continue to work with President Obama, Congress, governors, mayors, state and local health departments, school districts, private sector partners and other federal agencies to develop a nation-wide plan that incorporates the lessons we learned this spring to prepare for the fall flu season.

H1N1 may return this fall, but with your help, we are doing everything possible to keep the country safe and healthy. Thank you for doing your part.

Janet Napolitano

National Security Cutter Program Success

2009-07-10T11:41:00.001-04:00

I am extremely pleased to congratulate the crew of the cutter Bertholf for their first drug interdiction on one of our new national security cutters. This success demonstrates the capability of this important national security asset and directly supports the department's strategy for protecting and securing the southwest border.

The national security cutter program is a vital component of the Department's effort to rebuild the Coast Guard's fleet so that it can continue its proud history of executing important missions to support the nation's maritime security and safety while protecting our economic prosperity.

Last week I visited the cutter Dallas in a shipyard in Charleston. The Dallas, and her sister ship Gallatin, are undergoing extensive work to repair major structural and machinery problems that are the result of their age and overuse. The national security cutter program will replace these 40-year old, Vietnam era vessels with modern, capable ships to secure America.

In Wednesday's seizure off the coast of Guatemala, the crew of the Bertholf disrupted four drug smuggling speedboats at the same time with their multiple pursuit boats and helicopter. The crew successfully captured two vessels and four suspects while disrupting the other two boats.

The continued renewal of the Coast Guard fleet and use of modern technology across the department is an indispensable part of our strategy to improve the ability of DHS to secure our nation and protect its citizens.

Janet Napolitano

Strengthening Partnerships with our International Allies

2009-06-26T16:19:00.005-04:00

Yesterday I announced my upcoming trip and some of the initiatives we’ll be advancing with our overseas partners, especially with respect to our counter-terrorism mission.

We recently signed several important agreements with our European allies to improve information sharing and enhance collaboration on the development of science and technology. My trip, which begins this Saturday and will include visits to Ireland, Britain, Portugal, and Spain, with a final stop in Kuwait to visit our Coast Guard operations, will build on these and other efforts.

In Ireland I will assess preparations for aviation preclearance operations, which are scheduled to begin on July 29.

In the UK, I’ll be meeting with the new Home Secretary and the new Transport Secretary on a number of issues, including cyber-security, science and technology collaboration, countering violent extremism, and civil aviation security.

In Portugal, we will discuss ways to improve and increase information sharing to counter threats in both of our countries.

And in Spain we will discuss enhancing the security of air travel between our two countries, building off of the recent agreements we’ve made to improve criminal information sharing and science and technology cooperation.

In addition to these issues, we will focus on matters of interest to both the United States and European Union as a whole, including the protection of privacy while improving law enforcement and security cooperation, and the Visa Waiver Program and its security enhancements.

We have a strong partnership with Europe when it comes to fighting terrorism and other forms of transnational crime. In the coming weeks, I’ll be talking more about our counter-terrorism efforts both at home and abroad, especially as we approach the 5th anniversary of the release of the 9/11 Commission Report on July 22.

It will be a good opportunity to assess how far we’ve come in our fight against terrorism, our work to secure our country – and what steps remain.

Janet Napolitano

A Focused Effort on Cybersecurity

2009-06-18T13:48:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak at the World Affairs Council Global Education Dinner about our Department’s increasing focus on the issue of cybersecurity.

Of all the threats America faces, the integrity of our cyber infrastructure demands special attention. These are no longer emerging threats. They are with us now, and are happening every day. Over the past two years, for example, cyber crime has cost Americans more than $8 billion.

Any victim of identity theft understands the damage and permanent harm that this can cause to personal finances, credit, and reputation. Cyber threats also pose clear national security risks to major public and government networks and systems – from banking and energy to communications and transportation.

For this reason, President Obama has made cybersecurity the object of one of his first executive actions, declaring our nation’s cyber infrastructure as a strategic national asset and outlining a comprehensive plan for how our nation will prepare for and respond to cyber threats.

Our Department is playing a key role in this effort. For example, we are taking the lead in defending federal executive branch networks and systems – the “dot-gov” domain – as well as coordination with the private sector to protect the nation’s critical infrastructure and key resources.

What the Department is Doing

This is a top priority for us. Accordingly, I have centralized all of the Department’s cybersecurity functions under a new deputy undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, Philip Reitinger. This individual will coordinate cyber security across the Department, including our U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and our National Cyber Security Center.

We’re also in the process of recruiting some of the best and brightest to lend their talents to our Department. We recently asked a well-known former computer hacker to join the Homeland Security Advisory Council to help us better understand the kind of threats that can come from hackers seeking to do harm.

Because cyber threats are not limited by international boundaries, we are also working with our overseas partners. For example, we are part of a coalition called the “International Watch and Warning Network” where 15 countries collaborate on policy issues, and response to cyber attacks.

Of course, the government can’t do this work alone. Everyone has a role to play in making cybersecurity a regular habit. For more information on that front, I encourage you to visit the U.S. CERT website to learn about how you can help.

By taking prudent, common-sense measures, we can reduce our individual and collective vulnerability to cyber threats and increase our resiliency as a nation. Because cybersecurity is not an end point, but rather an ongoing set of efforts, this will continue to be a major priority for our Department in the weeks and months ahead.

Janet Napolitano

The Department’s Five Responsibilities

2009-06-08T12:45:00.003-04:00

When President-elect Obama nominated me to become our country’s third Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, I was warned that the vast Department was too cumbersome to lead; that the 225,000-strong workforce was too big to manage; that the 22 agencies with 22 corresponding missions that were brought together in 2003 were too disparate to meld into a coherent structure with a clear vision.

Yet, nearly five months into my tenure, the purpose of our Department is unambiguous: we must guard against terrorism; we must secure our borders; we must enforce our immigration laws; we must improve our readiness for, response to, and recovery from disasters; and we must unify the Department so that we can even more effectively carry out our mission.

On each of the five fronts, we have already made important strides.

Protecting the American people from terrorist threats is the founding principle of the Department and our highest priority. This is an effort where everyone--families and communities, first responders, the private sector, state and local governments, as well as the Department--must contribute. My approach is simple: direct every resource available towards prevention and preparedness, and ask Americans to live in a constant state of readiness, not a constant state of fear.

Since January, we have forged new partnerships with our international allies to provide more tools in the fight against terrorism. We have dedicated new resources to detect threats at our transportation hubs and protect our critical infrastructure. And, we are strengthening information-sharing efforts, working hand-in-hand with state, local and tribal law enforcement.

Fulfilling our mission also means securing our borders—our Southern border, our Northern border, and our air and sea ports. Every year, we apprehend and deport more than one million illegal immigrants, no doubt deterring countless more from trying to cross the border. Recently, we announced a new initiative to strengthen security on the Southwest border to disrupt the drug, cash and weapon smuggling that is helping to fuel cartel violence in Mexico.

When it comes to immigration, we need to facilitate legal immigration while we crack down on those who violate our nation’s laws. A few weeks ago, we issued new guidance to our agents in the field to focus our efforts on apprehending criminal illegal aliens and prosecuting employers who knowingly hire illegal workers. At the same time, we are committed to providing employers with the most up-to-date and effective resources to maintain a legal workforce. This new focus is drawing widespread praise--from law enforcement to the business community--because it addresses the root cause of illegal immigration.

As a nation, we must develop a more urgent sense of readiness. Hurricanes happen. Tornadoes happen. Floods happen. And as we recently experienced, so do health outbreaks like the H1N1 flu. The Department plays a critical role in helping communities in all stages of a disaster--preparation, response and long term recovery. Since January, we have worked in close coordination with state and local authorities to respond to severe storms in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Missouri and flooding in North Dakota and Minnesota. We have taken bold new steps to accelerate recovery efforts in the Gulf Coast region, streamlining decision making and consolidating offices to eliminate redundancies.

And we took immediate and aggressive steps to lead the federal government’s efforts to confront the H1N1 flu outbreak.

Finally, we must unify and mature our Department. Our goal is simple: one DHS, one enterprise, a shared vision, with integrated results-based operations. Through a consolidated headquarters, we are bringing 35 locations together. We have launched an expansive efficiency initiative that is leveraging the economies of scale in our Department in order to recover hundreds of millions of dollars and create a culture of responsibility and fiscal discipline.

Throughout these five priority areas, we are applying a series of cross-cutting approaches. We are bolstering cooperation with our partners at the local, tribal, state, federal and international levels; we are expanding our capabilities through the deployment of science and technology while developing and maturing new technologies for tomorrow; and we are maximizing efficiency to ensure every security dollar is spent in the most effective way.

We cannot afford to relent on any of these five fronts because together, they amount to our one overarching mission—a mission whose scope is massive, challenging, and humbling, but also a mission so straightforward and clear that it is contained in our name: securing the homeland.

Janet Napolitano

Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative: Boosting Border Security and Efficiency

2009-06-01T10:53:00.012-04:00

Before January 2008, United States and Canadian citizens were not required to present specific travel documents when entering the United States through a land or sea port. That meant that a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer might only have the traveler’s word on which to base his or her decision to allow someone to enter the United States. Not surprisingly, this practice significantly hampered our ability to quickly verify a traveler's identity or citizenship, determine if they pose a threat, and importantly, hampered our ability to speed legitimate travelers across the border. Every day, CBP encountered hundreds of individuals trying to game the system and pass themselves off as American or Canadian—an untenable scenario that turned each traveler into a potential imposter.

On June 1, CBP will implement the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI), a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and a key recommendation of the 9/11 Commission that requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a secure travel document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering our country. WHTI narrows the list of acceptable identity and citizenship documents to those in which we have great confidence because of their issuance process and physical security features. As a result, WHTI will strengthen our borders as we facilitate entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign travelers – a core component of CBP's mission.

CBP is fully prepared to implement WHTI—we have ensured that you, the traveling public, have a choice among travel documents to best meet your needs; we have installed infrastructure in our ports to make your entry and inspection process go more quickly and more smoothly; and we have worked hard to communicate the new requirements to you well in advance of the June 1 deadline. We have also heard your concerns and made special provisions to accommodate U.S. and Canadian children under age 16—and those under age 19 traveling in school, sports, religious or other office groups—who need only present a copy of a birth certificate or alternative proof of citizenship to enter the United States by land or sea from Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean.

Now we need your help to make these improvements to our border security as successful as they can be. We encourage you to obtain WHTI-compliant travel documents for entering the U.S. on June 1 and beyond. Approved documents include the traditional passport book as well as cards that are equipped with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology to make your trip even faster and more efficient: the U.S. passport card, a NEXUS, SENTRI or FAST Trusted Traveler Program card, or a state- or province-issued enhanced drivers license.

RFID-enabled documents are easy to use. When entering the United States from Mexico (or Canada), hold up your travel card (and those of any passengers in your car), drive slowly toward the inspection booth, and stop for an interview with the officer. The automated read of the RFID tag (a unique number that contains no personally identifiable information) links to a secure CBP database. Before you arrive at the booth, the CBP officer can review your photograph, biographic information, and the results of law enforcement checks. By queuing up this information while you’re still driving toward the booth, the officer can more quickly verify your identity and focus more attention on talking to you while shaving 6 – 8 seconds off of the current inspection process. Because all the RFID-enabled travel cards can be read at one time, it saves the officer from having to manually type information about each individual in your car.

We realize that some travelers arriving at the border will not have WHTI-compliant documents. I encourage you to continue with your travel plans and to obtain facilitative and secure WHTI travel documents as soon as possible. U.S. and Canadian citizens who lack WHTI-compliant documents but are otherwise admissible will not be denied entry into the United States on June 1 and during the subsequent transition period.

Obtaining a WHTI-approved document and complying with the law will help make our borders more secure. Getting your WHTI-compliant document will help make your border crossings easier and faster.

For more information on new documents that go into effect on June 1, please visit www.getyouhome.gov.

Jayson P. Ahern
Acting Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection

Originally published in the May 30, 2009 edition of the Houston Chronicle

Preparing for Hurricane Season

2009-05-28T11:29:00.005-04:00

Last week I had the opportunity to visit Florida with our new Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator, Craig Fugate, to assess firsthand the preparations underway for the beginning of hurricane season on June 1st.

Preparing for hurricanes – or any disaster, for that matter – is one of our highest priorities at the Department of Homeland Security. Over the past few months, we have worked very closely with our state, local, and tribal partners to ensure we are in a strong position to support their efforts should a major disaster strike that requires federal assistance.

In Florida, Craig and I visited Lake Mary, just outside Orlando, where FEMA operates a response and recovery center and toured a FEMA logistics warehouse in Orlando that plays a critical role in staging and moving supplies and commodities during emergencies.

We also met with state and local leaders in Miami and toured Department of Homeland Security operations at the Port of Miami, where the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection all work together to protect port operations and prevent the entry of illegal drugs, migrants, and counterfeit goods.

Our trip to Florida follows our teleconference last week with governors from across the country to discuss hurricane season. Our message was clear and simple: we are preparing for this year’s hurricane season and we stand ready to support our state, local, and tribal partners should they need assistance. (updated 5/29/09 9:30am)

At FEMA and across the Department, we have worked hard to improve preparedness in three main areas:

We are better organized. We have a new National Shelter System that contains information for thousands of emergency shelter resources nationwide. This will allow us to provide temporary sheltering assistance faster and in a more orderly fashion.

We are better coordinated. We have coordinated regional evacuation and emergency communication plans with our state, local, tribal, and private sector partners, and have secured more options for temporary housing in the event of a disaster.

We are better connected. We frequently host video teleconferences among federal, state and local leaders so that we all can share new information and best practices and work together to improve preparedness and identify any gaps in our planning.

Preparedness is a shared responsibility among the Department, our federal, state and local partners, the private sectors, and individuals across the country. Thank you for doing your part to prepare for the upcoming Hurricane season and everything you do to protect our nation everyday.

Janet Napolitano

Honoring Our Fallen Heroes

2009-05-15T10:17:00.012-04:00

On Wednesday I had the opportunity to meet with the families of two fallen Border Patrol agents who gave their lives in the service of our Department and our nation.

Senior Border Patrol Agent Luis Aguilar and Border Patrol Agent Jarod Dittman were killed in the line of duty last year as they performed their responsibilities as Border Patrol agents working to protect our Southwest border.

Agent Aguilar was struck and killed by the driver of a vehicle attempting to evade capture near Calexico, California and return into Mexico. The driver of that vehicle is now in federal custody in Mexico and faces second-degree murder charges and federal narcotics violations in the United States. Agent Dittman was killed in a vehicle accident in Jamul, California in the early morning hours while en route to his patrol area.

I assured the family members that we will never forget the sacrifices made by their loved ones. While no words can ever repay their loss, this week the names of both agents were inscribed into the CBP Valor Memorial in Washington, D.C. to stand as a permanent tribute to their service.

On Wednesday, Agent Aguilar and Agent Dittman's names also were added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, along with 131 officers who died in the line of duty in 2008. As part of National Police Week 2009, I attended a candlelight vigil on Wednesday evening in their honor.

It is sometimes easy to forget the sacrifices our law enforcement officers and their families make on a daily basis as they protect our communities and the American people – and the very real dangers they encounter while on the job. This is a good time to honor the memories of those who have fallen, and give thanks to those who keep our nation safe.

Janet Napolitano

Addressing Employment-Based Visa Wait Times

2009-04-24T10:55:00.003-04:00

There have been a lot of comments and questions received from readers about employment-based petitions and related applications for adjustment to lawful permanent residence.

This is a complicated subject, so I want to provide a little background. Becoming a permanent resident based on employment can require a number of steps, including obtaining a labor certification from the Department of Labor, receiving approval on a petition for alien worker from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) (Form I-140) and obtaining an immigrant visa from the Department of State or being granted adjustment of status from USCIS. In addition, by law there are numerical limits on the number of people who can immigrate to the U.S. each year in most categories. You can see a more detailed explanation about the employment-based visa application process online.

Some readers have asked about the volume of employment applications and delays that have occurred in employment-based visa petition and adjustment application processing in late 2007 and early 2008. There were a number of factors that affected USCIS' handling of these cases during that time. Employers filed more than 234,000 petitions to sponsor foreign workers (Form I-140) as the Department of Labor cleared a large backlog of labor certification applications and implemented new regulations. Adjustment-of-status application filings also soared to nearly 300,000. We attribute the increase in adjustment application filings to a couple things. First, customers' anticipation of USCIS' filing fee increase in July 2007. Second, a unique opportunity for workers and their families to file adjustment applications based on the visa availability date announced in the July 2007 Immigrant Visa Bulletin. Many of these availability dates have since reverted, creating a backlog of adjustment applications that cannot be adjudicated until a visa becomes available.

A few months ago, a customer indicated his frustration that while he can monitor the Visa Bulletin to see how it moves month to month, he still has no idea how many people are waiting in line with pending adjustment applications or how long it may be before USCIS can process and approve his application. We know this customer is not alone! In response to that customer's request, we are working to make this information available on our Web site.

I understand the importance of becoming a permanent resident. I also recognize workers may rightly want to take advantage of the limited provisions in current law that allow certain applicants to change employers without affecting their ability to adjust status. As a result, USCIS has taken the following steps:

USCIS has increased the emphasis on processing employment-based petitions. Our goal is to complete adjudication on the older I-140 petitions and to process newer petitions within our targeted processing time of four months. We are making progress toward this goal and anticipate reaching this goal by the end of September 2009.
USCIS is issuing employment authorization documents valid for two years, as needed.
USCIS is working with the State Department to make sure we use every available visa number. In 2007, we had more visas available in the family-based categories than were needed, so as permitted by law, we transferred those available family-based visas for use in the employment-based application process.

I recognize that this is a difficult and complex situation and USCIS is working hard to make improvements and to increase transparency in our processes.

Mike Aytes
Acting Deputy Director, USCIS

Michelle Obama Visits Homeland Security

2009-04-14T14:55:00.014-04:00

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