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Sunday, May 5th, 2024

Border

Bill targets DHS immigration enforcement concerns

A group of Democratic senators introduced a bill last week that addresses southwest border challenges while improving Department of Homeland Security (DHS) border community engagement. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Tom Udall (D-NM) joined colleagues in supporting the Homeland... Read More »

DHS, Houston partner to combat human trafficking

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that it has partnered with the City of Houston and the Houston Airport System (HAS) as a means of combating human trafficking. The effort stems from the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) program, officials said, which is an extension of the... Read More »

Effort addresses Central American irregular migration

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency recently initiated an effort designed to increase collaboration between America and Honduras regarding combating irregular migration through Central America. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan has signed two... Read More »

CBP enforcement report shows recent decline

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said the agency’s recently released enforcement actions report reflects a decline in the last 90 days while activity levels remain high. The analysis showed this year through August, the total number of people apprehended or found to be... Read More »

Measure targets asylum fraud, border child trafficking

Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Joni Ernst (R-IA) introduced Tuesday legislation designed to address asylum fraud and protect children arriving at the border from human trafficking. The End Child Trafficking Now Act of 2019, amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to require a DNA test to... Read More »

Lawmakers seek immigration checkpoint reviews

Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Gary Peters (D-MI) requested Wednesday that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) review the Border Patrol’s interior immigration checkpoints usage and Fourth Amendment compliance. In correspondence to GAO personnel, the senators sought... Read More »

CBP to offer Mobile Passport Control app in Puerto Rico

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will implement Mobile Passport Control (MPC) in Puerto Rico. That means that U.S. citizens and Canadian visitors will have the option to use MPC processing, which expedites the entry process to the United States by using a mobile app to submit users’ passport... Read More »

CBP air and marine effort nets $114 mln cocaine seizure

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) personnel recently located and tracked a cocaine-filled go-fast style vessel in the Western Caribbean, resulting in a 8,791 pound, $114.6 million seizure. Officials said a CBP Air and Marine Operations (AMO) P-3 Orion Long Range Tracker crew assigned to the... Read More »

California checkpoint yields methamphetamine seizure

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said El Centro Sector Border Patrol agents working a Highway 86 immigration checkpoint halted a methamphetamine smuggling attempt with a $210,220 street value. The incident occurred when a 47-year-old woman driving a white Honda Pilot approached the... Read More »

Amendment bolsters Intelligence Authorization Act

A legislative amendment introduced by Reps. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) and Will Hurd (R-TX) has been incorporated into the Intelligence Authorization Act as a means of addressing trafficking and smuggling networks. The amendment directs the intelligence community to prioritize efforts to combat... Read More »

GAO offers border security plan recommendation

After accessing the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) 2019 Border Security Improvement Plan, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is recommending CBP ensure the guideline addresses statutorily required elements. GAO’s assessment stems from an effort to examine the extent to which the... Read More »

Legislation targets border trafficking, smuggling

Citing the disabling of smuggling and trafficking as a national intelligence priority, Reps. Will Hurd (R-TX) and Abigail Spanberger (D-VA) introduced last week a measure to address the matters along the border. The Trafficking and Smuggling Intelligence Act of 2019 ensures the intelligence... Read More »

Laredo CBP effort nets sizeable narcotics seizure

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials said a pair of recent Laredo enforcement operations yielded narcotics seizures worth a combined estimated street value exceeding $4.1 million. “I congratulate our officers for their dedication which has prevented these dangerous narcotics from... Read More »

DHS action expedites border wall project

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said an agency waiver would expedite construction of three miles of a new border wall system in the Border Patrol’s Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector. The work would be located west of Roma near Fronton, in Starr County, Texas, with the waiver... Read More »

ICE official assesses enforcement statistics

Immigration and Custom and Enforcement (ICE) Executive Associate Director Nathalie R. Asher recently offered an assessment of the agency’s January-March 2019 enforcement statistics, citing a commitment to arresting unlawfully present aliens. “During this time period, more than 85 percent of... Read More »

Package restores northern border staffing levels

House lawmakers have advanced an emergency spending package containing a provision restoring a robust Customs and Border Protection (CBP) presence along the northern border. “Restoring hours at these ports is critical to commerce, emergency medical services, and to everyone who lives and... Read More »