Border
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Friday it would make nearly 65,000 H-2B visas available in Fiscal Year 2024.
The temporary nonagricultural worker visas will add to the 66,000 H-2B visas mandated by Congress each year. According to DHS, the additional visas represent the... Read More »
In a letter to the House Appropriation Committee this week, U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) urged leadership to include funding for first responder aid programs in any FY 2024 supplemental appropriations to support those affected by immigration.
“Increased operations... Read More »
After an internal memo from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) warning that foreign fighters from the Israel-Hamas conflict could be encountered at the southwest border leaked to the press, House Republicans demanded documents and information from Department Secretary Alejandro... Read More »
According to an updated approach released last week by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) remains focused on the opioid epidemic while reckoning with an ever-changing landscape.
CBP planted its focus firmly around four areas:
... Read More »
The United States-Mexico remains a focus of Congressional interest, and the latest offshoot of that emerged this week in the form of the Senate’s Advanced Border Coordination Act, which aims to improve law enforcement communication and coordination.
“From local sheriffs to Border Patrol and... Read More »
With the bicameral introduction of the Border Enforcement, Security, and Trade (BEST) Facilitation Act (H.R. 5990) last week, supporters seek to allot for a series of new image technicians within Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to expedite screenings at U.S. ports of entry.
Created by U.S.... Read More »
With an eye on both inbound and outbound cargo, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) issued a request for information (RFI) last week to call up new approaches to targeting illegal cargo and aiding delivery of legitimate cargo.
"Researching and... Read More »
Real-time, standards-based tests for exchanging supply chain data from three U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) collaborating startups have opened the door for Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) to begin integrating data from them and their customers.
Companies mesur.io, Neoflow and... Read More »
Calling on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, a group of representatives led by U.S. Reps. Mike Kelly (R-PA) and Ryan Zinke (R-MT) introduced a resolution this week to recognize an outsized number of suspected terrorists recently seized at the northern border.
This year, Customs and... Read More »
After three months under Operation North Star III, the U.S. Marshals Service reported arrests of 4,455 violent fugitives this week, following targeted efforts in 20 cities to execute warrants for homicide, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and firearms violations.
“ONS is an... Read More »
As a companion to House-passed legislation H.R. 2, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) last week introduced the Secure the Border Act of 2023, proposing a resumption of border wall construction, harsher asylum and visa standards, and more Border Patrol agents.
Known as S. 2824, the Senate version of the... Read More »
The U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) failed to properly resolve and monitor issues at International Mail Facilities (IMF), leading to wasted dollars and risks to both officers and its larger mission, according to a newly released report from the Office of Inspector General (OIG).
CBP... Read More »
Thanks to joint work by Marine Interdiction Agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations (AMO) and Puerto Rico Police Department FURA agents, a boat carrying 860 pounds of cocaine was seized over the weekend.
On Saturday, September 2, FURA alerted a patrolling... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced last week that its Operation Without a Trace had helped seize more firearms headed out the U.S. Southwest border by the end of July than were halted throughout all of FY 2022.
The operation was a coordinated enforcement effort between DHS... Read More »
Republicans on the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee wrote to the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) this week demanding that all sales of border wall construction materials be halted, and accused the department of brazenly attempting to circumvent Congressional decisions.
At the heart of the... Read More »
Responding to the needs of migrant host communities throughout the country, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) this week announced more than $77 million would go to border and interior communities housing those awaiting immigration proceedings.
It’s an extension of the Shelter and... Read More »
Facing a post-pandemic travel surge, the State Department has struggled to address a nearly 40 percent increase in passport application requests since 2022, and now new legislation seeks to update and make the passport process more efficient to cut down on strain.
Introduced by U.S. Rep. Buddy... Read More »
As the United States reckons with its seasonal labor needs and political infighting over immigration, a new bipartisan effort known as the SEASONAL Act seeks to allow governors the ability to push supplemental H-2B visas beyond the national cap of 66,000.
The SEASONAL Act, or the State... Read More »
A legislative effort to create a Northern Border Coordination Center and another to support critical operations at airports, seaports and land ports of entry through onboarding of at least 600 officers a year moved out of committee this week and to the Senate floor.
The Northern Border... Read More »
Mexico government officials recently hosted a U.S. delegation to reaffirm the nations' commitment to address fentanyl and arms trafficking, as well as humanely manage migration.
This month Mexico President Andrés Manuel López Obrador joined senior Mexico government personnel in hosting a U.S.... Read More »
Coast Guard officials have detailed Coast Guard Cutter Steadfast's 70-day counternarcotics patrol in the Eastern Pacific.
The crew crew recently returned to its homeport in Astoria, Ore., after disrupting the flow of illegal narcotics on three separate occasions during the patrol, preventing a... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has detailed a northern border surge operation resulting in the apprehension of 124 people.
CBP said its Air and Marine Operations (AMO) Plattsburgh Air Unit collaborated with federal, state and local partners to execute Operation Jagdakommando in response to... Read More »
Through introduction of the Northern Border Coordination Act, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and Susan Collins (R-ME) seek to create a new center to improve border coordination and security under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other authorities.
“The federal government must... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials have outlined the implementation of new family reunification parole (FRP) processes for Colombia, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras.
“These new processes promote family unity and provide lawful pathways consistent with our laws and our... Read More »
Last month, officers from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stationed at Washington Dulles International Airport intercepted two boxes destined for Washington, D.C. that turned out to possess about 71 pounds of a cathinone analogue.
Cathinone is a substance similar to amphetamines,... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have detailed the interception of nearly 900,000 fentanyl pills concealed inside porcelain sinks at the Otay Mesa port of entry’s facility in California.
“Narcotics traffickers will try new and innovative ways to smuggle dangerous drugs across... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) are commending Senate colleagues for advancing their bill bolstering efforts to screen vehicles and cargo entering the United States.
The Non-Intrusive Inspection Expansion Act would require Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to use... Read More »
In support of the American tourism industry, cultural diversity and workforce needs, U.S. Reps. Blake Moore (R-UT) and Annie Kuster (D-NH) reintroduced a resolution expressing support for BridgeUSA programs.
As a resolution, it’s a nonbinding effort, but rather, is meant to express... Read More »
In a bid to increase screening of vehicles and cargo at U.S. ports of entry, U.S. Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) reintroduced their Non-Intrusive Inspection Expansion Act this week.
Generally, the bill would require U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to increase use of... Read More »
Despite significant concerns in the lead up to lifting of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC’s) Title 42 public health order in May, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced this week that unlawful entries between ports of entry have fallen more than 70 percent... Read More »
Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officers based in Philadelphia seized four massive loads of counterfeit currency last month, raking in a combined total of $14,368,160 in various denominations of fake U.S. currency.
“Law enforcement knows that counterfeit and fictitious bank notes have been... Read More »
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials have commended San Diego Field Office personnel for seizing $7.8 million worth of dangerous drugs in the week leading up to Memorial Day.
“Narcotics smuggling continues to be on the rise and our officers will relentlessly continue doing everything... Read More »
As a wide-ranging proposal to revise the United States immigration system, U.S. Reps. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL) and Veronica Escobar (D-TX) led the introduction of an updated Dignity Act this week, gathering a small bipartisan coalition to break Congressional deadlock on the issue.
Salazar... Read More »
By introducing the Land Port of Entry (LPOE) Modernization Trust Fund Act (H.R.3135) this week, a collection of five congressional lawmakers proposed creating a fund to advance new ports of entry, improve the old and gather both new staff and technology to assist border efforts.
Backed by... Read More »
Three legislators recently forwarded correspondence to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), seeking insight regarding suspected terrorists illegally crossing the southern border.
U.S. Reps. Mark E. Green (R-TN), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, James Comer (R-KY),... Read More »
