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
Crossing the Border Illegally Is Harder Than It’s Been in 50 Years, DHS Report Says
Improved security has made it harder than ever to illegally cross into the U.S. from Mexico, and Border Patrol agents are catching a higher percentage of those who try, according to a new report from the Department of Homeland Security. The report from the DHS Office of Immigration Statistics used arrest and migrant survey data to arrive… -
news
Homeland Security: Russia Targeted 21 States in 2016, Changed No Votes
Russians hacked or attempted to hack into election systems in 21 states, Department of Homeland Security officials confirmed to a Senate panel Wednesday, but stressed this didn’t affect any election outcomes. “All the way through the Cold War up to our most recent election, in my opinion they have tried to influence all of our… -
opinion
How to Resolve Tangled Relationship Between Congress and Homeland Security
With homeland security being such a national priority, one would expect Congress and the Department of Homeland Security to have a well-organized relationship. Unfortunately, that is not the case. On Wednesday, the House Homeland Security Committee marked up a bill that would reauthorize the Department of Homeland Security for the first time since 2002, when… -
opinion
Top 5 Reasons John Kelly Is Right for Homeland Security
Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly gave a speech at George Washington University Tuesday outlining where he will be taking the department. This was the first address from a Cabinet secretary detailing how they plan to roll up their sleeves and make their piece of government work better. It’s not surprising that taking the initiative to… -
news
Trump Picks Retired Marine General as Homeland Security Secretary
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen retired Marine Gen. John F. Kelly to lead the Department of Homeland Security, news organizations reported Wednesday. If nominated and confirmed, Kelly would join a Cabinet that already promises to be well represented by military figures. Trump has announced his selections of retired Marine Gen. James N. Mattis for secretary… -
opinion
Homeland Security’s Green Card Follies Are Costing Taxpayers and Leaving America Less Safe
A recent report from the inspector general concluded that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services mishandled thousands of green cards. The Department of Homeland Security has admitted that these green cards are missing and cannot be accounted for. These missing green cards pose a security risk for American citizens. As the inspector general cautioned in his… -
opinion
Top 4 Homeland Security Issues for the Trump Administration
President-elect Donald Trump and his soon-to-be-selected secretary of homeland security will have a full plate when they take over in January. Indeed, there are so many areas for reform and improvement that any efforts to fix the Department of Homeland Security could easily get bogged down. Luckily, The Heritage Foundation has identified four main priorities… -
opinion
This Plan for Streamlining Oversight Would Enhance Homeland Security
Key government officials are ready to reform congressional oversight of the Department of Homeland Security, something that is long overdue. Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, has suggested in recent days that he would like to streamline that oversight. While it may sound strange, the homeland security committees in the… -
opinion
Exposing Waste and Mismanagement at the Department of Homeland Security
Now more than 10 years old, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) no longer can blame its continued program failures, employee misconduct, and lingering management challenges on “growing pains.” The Department of Homeland Security no longer can blame its continued program failures, employee misconduct and lingering management challenges on “growing pains.” Since its inception, DHS has… -
opinion
Homeland Security Starts Overseas
The American people are concerned. Worries surround the Visa Waiver Program, the refugee and migrant crisis in Europe, and the ever increasing number of domestic terror plots. A recent Gallup poll lists terrorism as the number-one concern of Americans. While most Americans want to see more homeland security protections, it is critical they understand that… -
opinion
The Passing of Homeland Security Visionary Mike Wermuth
This week, the homeland security community lost of one of its original architects. Michael Wermuth, whose contributions to the field began before 9/11 and continued for the past fifteen years, passed on Nov. 1 at age 69. When Mike joined the RAND Corporation in 1999, his first task was to serve as executive director of… -
opinion
House Homeland Security Committee Task Force Releases Report on ISIS Foreign Fighters
Following the completion of a six-month investigation, the House Homeland Security Committee’s Task Force on Combatting Terrorist and Foreign Fighter Travel released a final report on Tuesday, September 29. The bipartisan Task Force was formed in March with the primary purpose of reviewing both classified and unclassified information regarding the increased number of foreign fighters… -
opinion
DHS Should Proceed With Caution on Detention Center “Reforms”
Nearly a year after the U.S. experienced a surge of illegal immigration from Central America, public officials are still grappling with the fallout. Under significant political pressure, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Jeh Johnson announced last week that his agency would be making “important reforms” to its detention policy. Specifically, the Secretary declared that… -
opinion
Homeland Security Official Used His Office to Give Visas to High-Ranking Politicians
Alejandro Mayorkas, a deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security, gave favorable treatment to high-ranking political officials in helping them secure special EB-5 visas, according to the department’s inspector general. According to the inspector general, Mayorkas “exerted improper influence in the normal processing and adjudication of EB-5 immigration program benefits.” The inspector general found… -
opinion
Labrador on Homeland Security Funding: ‘We Lost Because’ Democrats, White House ‘Outsmarted Ineffective GOP Leadership’
On Tuesday, 75 Republicans pressured by our leadership and a weak-kneed Senate joined 182 Democrats in abandoning a provision blocking President Obama’s executive actions on immigration in the Fiscal 2015 Department of Homeland Security spending bill. Without a doubt, Congress ceded its constitutional authority when it gave up the fight to ensure the president faithfully executes the… -
news
‘A Strategy Doomed to Failure’: Conservatives Fault GOP Leadership After Homeland Security Funding Fight
Days after President Obama delivered his Nov. 20 speech outlining executive actions on immigration, conservatives pressed Republican leaders to wage a fight while the issue was fresh on the minds of voters. “From the onset, we really believed it was a poor strategy,” says @RepMattSalmon Republicans had just made historic electoral gains in the House… -
news
Homeland Security Funding Expires Friday. Is Congress Any Closer to a Solution?
As the Feb. 27 deadline for funding the Department of Homeland Security looms, Congress appears no closer to a resolution to the ongoing funding dispute. Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told George Stephanopoulos today on ABC’s “This Week” that it’s “imperative that we get it resolved.” “Because if we don’t, by Friday at midnight, the… -
opinion
Cartoon: The Fight Over Department of Homeland Security Funding
From Daily Signal senior contributor Genevieve Wood's column earlier this week: Are Senate Republicans caving? House Republicans successfully passed a bill that funds the Department of Homeland Security, but ensures President Obama’s amnesty, engineered in an executive action in November, won’t be funded. Senate Republicans have tried three times to bring the bill up for… -
news
Conservatives ‘Aren’t Scared’ to Hold Their Ground on Homeland Security Bill
A group of conservative members of Congress are urging Senate Republicans to stand their ground in the high-stakes standoff with Democrats over funding the Department of Homeland Security and rolling back President Obama’s executive actions on immigration. “I would strongly encourage … Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell hold the line on this,” said Rep. Mark… -
opinion
Why Are Democrats Blocking Homeland Security Funding Bill?
We have heard this story before: A funding deadline is approaching and Congress must act quickly to pass a bill to address the issue. In a twist, the chamber continuously labeled by the left as filled with “obstructionists,” passes a bill that simply funds the program in question. All should be in agreement that this…