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

    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…
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  • 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,”…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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:…
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  • 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…
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  • 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….
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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  • 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…
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