U.S. Sen. Angus King (I-ME) recently participated in a classified briefing held before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security to discuss security along the northern U.S. border with Canada.
King, along with senators from other states along the northern border, were briefed by high-ranking officers from the U.S. Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on trends in threat reporting, smuggling, trafficking, border security technology requirements and staffing in remote locations.
The briefing follows the passage of a King-cosponsored bill called the Northern Border Security Review Act, which requires the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to conduct a comprehensive examination of the current personnel levels while also evaluating security threats at the border.
The bill seeks to recruit and retain border security officials to cover the northern border and determine the tools border security officials need to effectively combat drug and human trafficking. The legislation also aims to identify technology that could expand the reach of border officials, and to find vulnerabilities in cooperation between Canadian and U.S. law enforcement.
“The Northern Border with Canada is not only the longest border in the United States, but it’s the longest border between any two countries in the world – which means that it requires robust resources and personnel to secure it from those wishing to enter the our country illegally, smuggle drugs here, or conduct other unlawful activities,” King said.