DHS News
The Daily Signal covers Department of Homeland Security (DHS) news with reporting, analysis, and commentary on immigration, security, and policy decisions.
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4 Things to Know About Biden’s Pick for Homeland Security Secretary
The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on President Joe Biden’s choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Alejandro Mayorkas, who has kept a high, occasionally controversial political profile in California and Washington since the 1990s, is the son of Cuban immigrants. Mayorkas, 61, is an alumnus of Beverly Hills High School who graduated…Fred Lucas -
House Homeland Security Chairman Wants Capitol Rioters Placed on No-Fly List
The chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, Rep. Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., on Thursday urged the Transportation Security Administration and the FBI to place certain members of the Capitol mob on the no-fly list. “Given the heinous domestic terrorist attack on the U.S. Capitol yesterday, I am urging the Transportation Security Administration [TSA] and the…Jake Dima -
DHS Puts US Companies on Notice: No More China Slave Labor
Federal agents seized a 13-ton shipment of human hair in July based on evidence the hair was taken from innocent people detained in Chinese internment camps. This was just the beginning of the Department of Homeland Security’s efforts to protect U.S. citizens from unknowingly funding China’s human rights abuses. Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Ken Cuccinelli…Arielle Del Turco -
‘Not at This Time’: DHS Chief Says Nationwide Lockdown Not Happening Yet
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said Sunday that there would be no countrywide lockdown order over the coronavirus pandemic—at least not at this time. During an appearance on Fox Business Channel, Wolf spoke about the Trump administration’s actions to curb the spread of COVID-19. Although some hard-hit states have executed lockdown orders, such as California and…Jason Hopkins -
DHS Considers Turning Away Asylum-Seekers, Illegal Aliens at Southern Border
The Department of Homeland Security is considering “all options” to stop the spread of the coronavirus, which would include turning away illegal aliens who arrive at the southern border. DHS officials are reportedly considering turning away asylum-seekers and any individual who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally, according to discussions first reported by Fox News. When asked if…Jason Hopkins -
DHS Suspends New Yorkers From Trusted Travelers Programs in Wake of Illegal Alien ID Law
The Department of Homeland Security is suspending New Yorkers from enrolling in Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs in response to a new state law that bans information-sharing with the federal government. Acting Deputy DHS Secretary Ken Cuccinelli went into detail in a conference call Thursday with reporters on the department’s decision to no…Jason Hopkins -
Another Caravan Is Headed for the US Border, but DHS Says It’s Ready
Hundreds of Central American migrants are headed toward the United States, but the Department of Homeland Security said the border programs it has put in place, along with international cooperation, will keep them at bay. A caravan of hundreds of migrants formed near San Pedro Sula, Honduras, on Wednesday and began traveling toward the Guatemalan border, the…Jason Hopkins -
Homeland Security Chief Orders Review of State Laws Allowing Driver’s Licenses for Illegal Aliens
Chad Wolf, the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, ordered a review of state laws that allow illegal aliens to obtain driver’s licenses and restrict data sharing with federal immigration authorities. Wolf on Tuesday ordered all of the components of DHS to conduct a department-wide review of the state laws to determine how…Jason Hopkins -
DHS Chief Says Spending Bill Will Help Build ‘Significant Amount of Wall’
The nation's acting homeland security secretary said Thursday that the $1.4 trillion spending package making its way through Congress will pay for an enormous amount of new barrier along the U.S.-Mexico border. The House passed a $1.4 trillion spending package Tuesday with days to go before the federal government would enter a shutdown. Included in the…Jason Hopkins -
Trump’s ‘Diplomatic Persistence’ Spurs Decline in Illegal Border Crossings, DHS Deputy Says
The president’s “diplomatic persistence” has deterred illegal migrants and led to a sharp decline in unlawful border crossings, a top U.S. immigration official said Wednesday in an interview with The Daily Signal. “Previous administrations were unwilling to push as President Trump has,” said Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. “In…Fred Lucas -
4 Big Border Issues in Homeland Security Chief’s House Testimony
The nation’s acting homeland security chief defended the U.S. Border Patrol against political attacks in testimony at a House hearing Thursday where he also denounced some employees’ unprofessional conduct on Facebook. “The incendiary and overwrought attacks on the men and women securing our border and enforcing immigration laws in the interior are unwarranted and damaging,”…Fred Lucas -
Homeland Security Investigations Uncover Hundreds of ‘Fraudulent Families’ at the Southern Border
The Department of Homeland Security revealed just how common “fraudulent families” are among the thousands of illegal immigrants reaching the U.S.-Mexico border every month. “Beginning in April 2019, [Homeland Security Investigations] dedicated over 400 personnel to assist [Customs and Border Protection] in combating this issue. HSI interviewed teams to interview persons suspected of attempting entry…Jason Hopkins -
Homeland Security Chief Tells Congress the Border Crisis Is ‘Unlike Anything We’ve Seen’
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan appeared before a Senate committee Tuesday and reiterated his requests for Congress to help fix the border crisis. “It’s been over 18 months since the administration asked for the legislative fixes that would’ve prevented the current crisis, and 40 days since we asked for the emergency funding necessary to…Jason Hopkins -
What to Know About Kevin McAleenan, Trump’s Acting Homeland Security Chief
Kevin McAleenan wasn’t a political aide in his rise through government, where he served in senior border security positions under both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations. Nevertheless, President Donald Trump’s promotion of the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection to serve as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security likely will…Fred Lucas -
Kirstjen Nielsen Says DHS Will Continue to Enforce the Law Despite Democrats’ Opposition
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said her agency will continue to enforce immigration laws, despite facing heavy opposition from congressional Democrats. “Well, two things. One, I would say we’re a law enforcement agency. So we enforce the law,” Nielsen said Thursday on “Fox & Friends.” “You know, I said it before, but I…Nick Givas -
On Hill, Homeland Security Officials Describe Emergency at the Border
Changing immigration laws could reduce the inflow of illegal border crossers by almost two-thirds, a top border security official testified Wednesday at a Senate hearing. Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Border Patrol should be able to detain families as a unit, which is prohibited…Fred Lucas -
3 Poison Pills in the Homeland Security Funding Bill
A series of amendments to an appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security, adopted in the bill’s markup last week, would devastate the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws. While much of the bill has good or noncontroversial policies, there are three specific problem areas that would be exacerbated by the amendments approved by the…David Inserra -
Decapitated Animal Left on Front Porch of DHS Official’s Home
The Department of Homeland Security is warning employees of a “sharp increase in the overall number of general threats” against them after a senior DHS official found a headless animal carcass left on his front porch, said an official with knowledge of the incident. DHS acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady issued the warning in a…Evie Fordham -
Problematic Women: DHS Secretary Bullied Out of DC Restaurant
Melania Trump makes a surprise visit to a migrant detention center in Texas to meet with children who were separated from their families, Fox News host Kimberly Guilfoyle faces vicious attacks, The New York Times publishes fakes news about Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt’s daughter, and the pope calls abortion the “white glove” equivalent…Ginny Montalbano -
Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen Shows That She Truly Understands Border Security
Testifying before the Senate Appropriations Committee on Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen schooled senators with her strong grasp of immigration enforcement and border security issues. Before what would become a heated exchange over her opposition to illegal immigration—because, you know, it’s the law—Nielsen in her opening statement explained what should be obvious to all:…David Inserra