U.S. Policy
All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and two U.S. territories accepted a Radio Access Network (RAN) buildout plan for the FirstNet wireless broadband network for first responders by the time a 90-decision period came to a close on Dec. 28.
Congress approved a bill establishing FirstNet in... Read More »
An alleged MS-13 gang member who was recently removed from the country by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement Removal Operations (ERO) will face eight murder charges in El Salvador.
Leandro Cruz, 24, was previously convicted of assault and battery in Massachusetts. After... Read More »
The Assistance to Firefighters (AFG) and Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) grant programs will be reauthorized through fiscal year 2023 under a bill that the U.S. Senate recently approved.
The Fire Grants Reauthorization Act would ensure that the nation’s fire and... Read More »
Members of Michigan’s congressional delegation recently advocated for the Missile Defense Agency to name the Michigan National Guard Fort Custer Training Center in Augusta as a ground-based midcourse missile defense site.
The lawmakers made the plea in a letter to U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen.... Read More »
San Francisco, New York, and Philadelphia filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday against the Department of Defense (DoD) for its failure to report dishonorable discharges and criminal conviction information to the national criminal background check system for gun sales.
The military is required to... Read More »
A former leader of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia drug-trafficking ring was deported to Columbia on Tuesday after spending eight years in federal custody for conspiracy to import and distribute cocaine in the United States.
Hebert Veloza Garcia, 50, was deported to his native Columbia to... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) made two firearms purchases on the dark web without disclosing required background information during a recent review of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) ability to regulate online firearm sales.
The GAO review was... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would have more access to portable chemical screening devices to stem the flow of fentanyl across the nation’s borders under a bill that recently gained Senate approval.
The International Narcotics Trafficking Emergency Response by Detecting Incoming... Read More »
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators recently introduced a bill to improve election security and protect against foreign interference in U.S. elections.
U.S. Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kamala Harris (D-CA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM) and Lindsey Graham... Read More »
The House of Representatives approved legislation last week that would reform the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to place a greater emphasis on pre-disaster planning and mitigation.
The bill, the Disaster Recovery Reform Act (DRRA), was approved as part of a larger emergency... Read More »
As part of their required by executive order, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Department of Justice (DOJ) have released a quarterly Alien Incarceration Report, in which they found 94 percent of confirmed aliens in custody are unlawfully present.
Additionally, they determined that... Read More »
Authorities of the Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB), which coordinates the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) various intelligence, operational and policy-making functions, would be extended for four years under bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate last week.
Established... Read More »
Waning U.S. federal and state funding for public health over the last 15 years has left many states ill-prepared to respond to acts of bioterrorism, infectious disease outbreaks and natural disasters, according to a recent report by Trust for America’s Health (TFAH).
The annual report,... Read More »
The Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) Office of Field Operations at the Laredo Port of Entry announced measures being taken to accommodate an expected influx of travelers during the holiday season on Wednesday.
Travelers are encouraged to apply for I-94 tourist permits online ahead of time. The... Read More »
The Department of Defense (DoD) recently granted Engility Holdings Inc. a position on the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical and Biological Defense (JPEO-CBD) Joint Enterprise Research Development Acquisition and Procurement Omnibus contract.
JPEO-CBD manages the military’s... Read More »
Citing widely available encryption technologies that can be used by terrorists, U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) recently renewed his call for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to convene an advisory panel to help better understand the challenges at hand.
McCaul, the chairman of the... Read More »
A former police officer from Fairfax, Virginia, accused of providing ISIS members with gift card codes that could be used to communicate with potential recruits was convicted on Monday of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization.
Nicholas Young, 38, was working as a... Read More »
A group of Republican lawmakers raised questions on Monday about allegations that members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI) improperly communicated information about the ongoing investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.
In a letter to leaders of the... Read More »
Additional federal funding, technical support, and training would be made available to ease state and local governments’ transition to next-generation technology in 9-1-1 call centers under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Monday.
The Next Generation (NG) 9-1-1 Act of... Read More »
In an effort to ensure the reliability and resilience of timing systems used by civilians and the military, a bill recently introduced in the Senate would direct the secretary of transportation to establish a land-based alternative timing system to GPS satellites.
Under the National Timing... Read More »
The National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) recently joined the Congressional Task Force on Election Security in calling on Congress to direct $396 million in existing funds to modernize aging election systems across the country.
Congress authorized nearly $3.9 billion to help... Read More »
Countries taking part in the visa waiver program (VWP) will now be required to better screen travelers, to implement aviation safeguards and to administer public education campaigns to reduce visa overstays, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on Friday.
DHS also called on... Read More »
The treasury secretary would be required to report to Congress financial transactions related Iran’s purchase of commercial passenger aircraft from U.S. manufacturers under a bill that the House of Representatives approved on Thursday.
Under the Obama administration's nuclear agreement with... Read More »
Election industry representatives recently met with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and representatives from the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) in Arlington, Virginia, to launch the formation an industry-led Sector Coordinating Council (SCC).
The council will support critical... Read More »
The Government Accountability Office (GAO) issued a series of recommendations on Thursday that aim to improve Transportation Security Administration (TSA) surface transportation security inspections for freight rail, passenger rail, and maritime activities.
GAO conducted the review in light of... Read More »
Just a week after an international coalition carried out airstrikes on an ISIS chemical weapons facilities, marines and sailors took part in a three-day course on combating, adapting to and overcoming chemical and biological contaminations from Dec. 5-8.
The course was administered by Corps... Read More »
A bipartisan congressional caucus launched on Tuesday will work to bolster the Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR), which fortifies national security through 24/7 operations around that world that supply military leaders with real-time information.
U.S. Reps. Don Bacon... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate would be tasked with developing new tools and safeguards to protect against vehicular terrorist attacks under a bill introduced in the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
U.S. Rep. Dan Donovan (R-NY) introduced the... Read More »
A Houston man who allegedly told undercover FBI agents that he planned to fight for ISIS or carry out a domestic terrorist attack on the group’s behalf in online conversations was arrested by federal agents on Dec. 8.
Kaan Sercan Damlarkaya, 18, is charged with unlawfully distributing... Read More »
A report released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Tuesday outlines the Trump administration’s planned cuts to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) counterterrorism programs.
The Administration plans to eliminate Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response... Read More »
First responders in states that opted into FirstNet can now use preemption services to prioritize mission-critical communications during emergencies, the First Responder Network Authority announced on Tuesday.
In addition to prioritizing the communications of primary users like firefighters,... Read More »
The chair and executive director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey commended four Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) officers Monday for their actions following an explosion in a passageway near the Port Authority Bus Terminal (PABT).
“Thanks to the quick response of these... Read More »
Topics related to terrorism financing and cybersecurity issues highlighted at the recent Parliamentary Intelligence-Security Forum, a multinational gathering that drew government, diplomatic, intelligence and industry leaders from 53 countries.
Hosted by U.S. Rep. Robert Pittenger (R-NC), the... Read More »
The House of Representatives approved legislation on Monday that would recalibrate the Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity and infrastructure security functions by establishing the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), a standalone organization.
Under the Cybersecurity... Read More »
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced its end-of-year immigration enforcement numbers for New England for fiscal year 2017 (FY17).
“CBP officers at the ports of entry throughout New England are committed to enforcing the border security laws of our nation, which... Read More »
