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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news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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,”… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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… -
news
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… -
opinion
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… -
opinion
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:… -
opinion
An Opportunity for Real Reform at DHS
There’s new potential for reform at the Department of Homeland Security. On Wednesday, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee passed its version of a Department of Homeland Security reauthorization bill that was passed by the House last year. This could be the first time DHS will be reauthorized since its creation—and it also… -
opinion
Homeland Security Oversight Is a Mess. Here’s What Should Change.
Since its founding in 2002, the Department of Homeland Security has never been reauthorized, which has allowed various problems to fester. Last July, the House passed a reauthorization bill that addressed many of the problems. But more can be done to address the inefficient and complex congressional oversight structure that continues to plague the department…. -
opinion
Homeland Security Will Soon Have a Tough, Smart Leader at the Helm
Kirstjen M. Nielsen, the nominee to be the next secretary of homeland security, was approved by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee Tuesday. In her earlier confirmation hearing, Nielsen proved to the committee and the broader public what many already know—that she is well-prepared to take on the hard task before her. Neilsen adeptly handled topics ranging from the opioid crisis… -
opinion
Senate Must Act on Long-Overdue Reforms to Department of Homeland Security
It’s time to reform and reauthorize the Department of Homeland Security, says the department’s acting secretary, Elaine Duke. On that score, she has the support of her predecessor, retired Gen. John Kelly, now the White House chief of staff. In Sept. 27 testimony before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, Duke addressed the… -
opinion
Homeland Security Needs a Tougher New Leader. It Looks Like It’ll Get One.
Want a really tough job? Try secretary of homeland security. The Department of Homeland Security comprises a sprawling enterprise touching on many of the federal government’s duties to keep the nation “safe, free, and prosperous.” Homeland security is a 24/7/365 mission. And when done right, there are few tasks more thankless. Every day, Americans get…