Leadership Journal

February 26, 2008

Missing the Facts

Mobile sensor tower in the Arizona desert. (Photo stargazing.com)
This past weekend, I was surprised to open The Wall Street Journal and read a story that was riddled with inaccuracies about Project 28 – or the first 28 miles of our virtual border fence. I’d like to set the record straight and clear up any confusion about what we’re doing along the Southern border, and what role technology is playing in our overall strategy.

As anyone living in the Southwest will tell you, it’s a rugged, landscape with little geographic uniformity. Therefore a one-size-fits-all approach utilizing a single physical fence or a single virtual fence is doomed to fail. That’s why we’re applying a mix of technology, traditional fencing, and manpower to secure the roughly 2,000 mile border – and Project 28, or P28, is the first stretch of what will eventually be several miles of towers, radars, and sensors at strategic points along the border.

First, the Journal story stated that the initial 28 miles of virtual fence we recently installed in Arizona would be the end of the project. This is simply incorrect. From the outset, P28 was designed as a prototype, or a building block that would be tested and refined so it could be deployed elsewhere along the border.

The next glaring inaccuracy in the Journal’s article was their reference to “the effective mothballing of the concept” as “a setback for the government’s border-protection efforts.” Mothballing the concept? We just formally accepted the project last week, and have a budget request of $775 million next fiscal year to continue to develop and deploy technology and tactical infrastructure along the border – precisely P28’s purpose. One might surmise that the reporters confused the meaning of “mothballing,” with “full steam ahead.”

The article went on to report that we awarded a $64 million contract to Boeing late last year to fix the Common Operating Picture, an integral part of P28. This allows our Border Patrol agents to view images relayed from P28’s towers to their vehicles and acts as a force multiplier, allowing fewer agents to cover more ground. The fact of the matter is that this contract was not awarded to fix anything, but rather was a planned investment for the development of a new Common Operational Picture and to build on the progress Boeing had made throughout the project. Any assertions to the contrary are simply false.

I’ve seen this system work with my own eyes, and I’ve talked with the Border Patrol Agents who are using it. They assure me that it adds value. That’s what matters to me, and it’s a fact that cannot be denied.

Michael Chertoff

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February 25, 2008

Our Commitment to National Security

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is committed to protecting national security as we go about our mission of providing the most fair and transparent immigration service possible to our customers.

Let me repeat just one part of that phrase to remove all ambiguity – we are committed to protecting national security. USCIS will never put expediency ahead of national security.

Recently, we modified our policy regarding the adjudication of applications for permanent residence, commonly know as green card status. USCIS will favorably adjudicate those applications where the cases are otherwise fully approvable and FBI name-check requests have been pending for more than 180 days. These cases will not be approved unless the applicants are otherwise eligible and have cleared the FBI fingerprint check and the Interagency Border Inspection System (IBIS) check. In the unlikely event that the FBI name check produces actionable information against an applicant, DHS will initiate removal proceedings.

This is not only good business, but it is also the right thing to do. The policy change better aligns the background check screening processes between DHS agencies. It’s worth noting that 99 percent of all FBI name check results are received within six months. Through process improvements, we fully expect all name-check results to be obtained within that period by the end of this year.

There is no change to the normal background scrutiny conducted on every application for any immigration benefit. All applications are checked through IBIS to gather information from a multitude of law enforcement agencies. It should also be noted that there has been no change to the name-check policy pertaining to naturalization applications.

As a department and as an agency, we are committed to providing immigration benefits and services as quickly as possible to eligible applicants. But, let’s be clear -- we will not shortcut our procedures or processes to the detriment of immigration integrity or national security.

Emilio T. Gonzalez
Director, USCIS

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February 22, 2008

A Fresh Look at Port Security

Port of Los Angeles (Photo/CBP)It often amazes me how certain myths about our Department’s efforts continue to endure despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Take port security, for example. I regularly see stories in the media asserting that our nation’s seaports are insecure as if we’ve done nothing since 9/11 to protect them. Just yesterday, a columnist for the New York Times casually repeated that claim.

I suspect a lot of this venting is simply intellectual laziness by those who prefer to recycle old sound bites rather than do their homework. In some cases, a deeper misunderstanding is taking place about how ports function in the real world. I’m referring to those who contend that because we don’t physically inspect every one of the 11 million shipping containers arriving at our ports each year, our entire system of security is compromised. Incidentally, those same individuals never explain that if we did open every box, there’d be a line of ships stretching across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans waiting to enter our country.

As we approach our Department’s fifth anniversary, I’d like to step back for a moment and take a fresh look at what we’ve done since 9/11 to protect our ports and maritime commerce, and hopefully dispel some of the stubborn inaccuracies that continue to persist.

First of all, it is factually wrong to suggest we’ve shortchanged funding for our ports. In fact, we’ve invested more than $16 billion to date. This includes funding for the Coast Guard’s port security operations, deployment of our personnel and equipment overseas, research into science and technology development, $1.39 billion in port security grants to states and port authorities, and hardening of physical assets and infrastructure.

Second, we’ve pushed our security perimeter outward so that we can identify and interdict suspicious cargo before it even has a chance to threaten our country. We now require information and intelligence on every single U.S. bound shipping container before it’s loaded onto a foreign ship. We’ve stationed CBP officers at 58 overseas ports accounting for 86 percent of the container traffic that comes to the United States. We’ve deployed equipment overseas to scan cargo for radiation before it leaves for our country. And we’ve proposed new regulations to collect more commercial data from the private sector so we can better track international shipments.

Third, we’ve taken common-sense measures to protect our ports here at home. Every major port and maritime facility in our country must now file a security plan with the Coast Guard that identifies its vulnerabilities and sets a plan to address them. We’ve enrolled close to 80,000 maritime workers into our Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, which provides secure identification to workers who pass terrorist and criminal background checks. Most significantly, we now scan virtually 100 percent of containers for radiation upon their arrival to prevent the entry of potential weapons of mass destruction. Prior to 9/11, we scanned zero percent of such cargo.

Have we achieved perfect security at our ports? Of course not. No human endeavor will ever achieve perfection and no system of security is infallible. But we have dramatically elevated our protection and built successive layers of security that have made our ports more secure than they have ever been. And we’ve done this without destroying the underlying reason for having ports in the first place – the efficient movement of people and commerce.

Those who don’t put in the effort to get their facts straight, or who use misinformation to suggest we are ignoring our maritime sector, are not serving their readers or the American people. They also do a disservice to the men and women who stand watch over our ports and our frontlines every day.

Michael Chertoff

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February 14, 2008

State of the Coast Guard

Yesterday I delivered my second State of the Coast Guard address at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. In this annual address to the Coast Guard, our interagency partners and our maritime stakeholders, I focused on the Coast Guard’s future – the strategy, legislation, and budget we need to build a 21st Century Coast Guard.

Since becoming Commandant nearly two years ago, I’ve traveled across the country and around the world to meet personally with thousands of Coast Guard active duty, reserve, Auxiliary and civilian employees. I made a commitment to them that we would provide the equipment, support and training they needed do their jobs more efficiently and effectively. I pledged to continue to recapitalize our aging fleet and command and control systems. I’m pleased to report that we are seeing the results of those efforts right now.

The Coast Guard’s first major cutter to be built in more than 25 years, the National Security Cutter Bertholf, successfully completed sea trials this week and we are preparing to missionize three new HC-144 Ocean Sentry maritime patrol aircraft. We are also well underway in our reorganization of our force structure, having made significant progress across all fronts to modernize and transform the service over the past year and a half. More importantly, we’ve provided a vital service to the American public and reached new milestones in our history in the past year, such as the removal of a record-breaking 350,000 pounds of cocaine at sea and our celebration of a million lives saved since 1790.

Going forward, the Coast Guard cannot rest on our reputation or remain fixated on our wake. Now is the time to build a 21st Century Coast Guard, one that will be responsive to the environment as it evolves around us. As a unique instrument of national security, we will work closer than ever with the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps to put our cooperative maritime strategy in action. As America’s lifesavers and guardians, we will enhance our marine safety program, develop our intelligence and maritime domain awareness, and take action to restore our polar icebreaking fleet, as we prepare to operate in an increasingly open Arctic. We also need to grow the Coast Guard. We cannot continue to meet the ever growing needs and higher expectations of our citizens with a workforce that is essentially no bigger than it was 50 years ago. That is why I will fight for every penny of the President’s FY09 $9.3 billion budget request. It is a down payment on the future of America’s Coast Guard.

Never before has this nation relied so heavily on our oceans and waterways for the safety, security and prosperity of all Americans. And never before has this nation relied so much on its Coast Guard to protect the environment and our keep our communities safe and secure. We will answer that call.

All threats. All hazards. Always ready.

Admiral Thad Allen
Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

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February 12, 2008

Americans By Choice

A mother celebrates her naturalization with a hug to her son. (Photo USCIS) As the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and an American by choice, I find it satisfying that so many people want to become a part of the American fabric. The significant increase in the number of immigration applications and petitions filed is clearly welcome news as applicants demonstrate a deep desire to participate fully in our country’s civic life. I understand well that processing delays are not abstract numbers. Each case affects an individual’s or family’s dreams and aspirations. At USCIS, we are committed to providing immigration services and benefits to eligible applicants as expeditiously as possible.


In July and August, we received almost 2.4 million applications and petitions for immigration benefits, double the normal volume. During fiscal year 2007, the agency received approximately 1.4 million naturalization applications. That is more than the total naturalization applications filed in 2005 and 2006 combined. For the months of June and July of 2007, it represented an increase of nearly 350% compared to the same period in 2006.

This surge in filings initially resulted in receipting delays for many naturalization applicants. We have addressed this situation, and have returned to normal timeframes for issuing naturalization application receipt notices. USCIS projects this filing surge will impact overall processing times for naturalization applications received after June 1, 2007. USCIS is projecting that under current conditions, the average processing time for these applications is expected to be up to 18 months. It is likely, however, that some applicants in jurisdictions less heavily impacted by the filing surge will be processed sooner.

We are finalizing a plan to specifically address the application increase. It will detail how we expect to improve this situation by enhancing our information systems, realigning our internal processes, and expanding our workforce capabilities. In the interim, we are taking some immediate steps. Our new fee schedule (pdf) has provided the resources to expand our workforce by about 1,500 employees and invest in information technology, facilities, training and other areas to improve service. We now have more than 690 new staff members onboard, including more than 400 adjudicators, who have a direct effect on this workload. Many more will be arriving in USCIS offices this summer.

Our goal is to continue these efforts and accelerate them where possible to better meet demands. We will not shortcut our procedures or processes to the detriment of immigration integrity or national security. Processing applications fairly without sacrificing national security and public safety is our core mission, and the American people deserve our utmost dedication and commitment. USCIS remains committed to fulfilling its promise of maintaining the integrity of our immigration system while also providing world-class customer service.

Dr. Emilio T. Gonzalez
Director, USCIS

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February 7, 2008

Tornado Response

Early this morning Secretary Chertoff and I flew to Tennessee in response to the recent tornadoes that devastated communities across the region.

We are deeply saddened by the lives lost. Our prayers are with the friends and families of those who lost loved ones and with all those now rebuilding from these devastating storms.

Today, the Secretary and I are traveling with Governor Bredesen to assess the damage and tomorrow we'll begin the physical accounting of damage with our preliminary damage assessments. The big challenge is to get people back into their homes and back to work.

Our efforts are focused on partnering with the state and local officials and private groups to respond quickly and efficiently as a team. FEMA is leaning forward, and had people on the ground before the storms struck. Today, we have teams in place helping state and local officials to evaluate damage to these communities.

Many of the affected states are shifting their operations from the initial emergency response phase to damage assessment and recovery duties. There are still hundreds of people who will need shelter, basic relief supplies, and other support, and we have FEMA teams to assist the response on the ground. We have FEMA liaisons deployed to Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky, Arkansas and Alabama in addition to the regional personnel already on site.

As we work together in a partnership to meet the needs of these communities, we remember that the first response always rests with the people in their communities. We stand ready to assist those on the ground as they respond to these horrible storms.

David Paulison
Administrator
Federal Emergency Management Agency

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Privacy Report

Perhaps no other condition is more important between a government and its citizens than trust. That trust is earned through consistently being open and honest—in short, being transparent. Indeed, the government’s work in the privacy field is especially built upon a foundation of transparency.

That’s why I’m pleased to announce that the Department of Homeland Security Privacy Office recently issued its third Annual Report covering July 2006 through July 2007. This report is the centerpiece of our transparency obligation and summarizes how DHS protects the privacy of personally identifiable information.

During this past reporting cycle, my staff and I made significant progress in our development of privacy resources and outreach within the department, as well as externally to other agencies, privacy advocates, and international data protection officials.

As the DHS Chief Privacy Officer, I have worked to build upon the strong privacy foundation established by my predecessor. My focus has been to formalize the processes and operations of this important office to ensure that we can fulfill our statutory requirements and support the Department’s vital mission.

Among our recent accomplishments, we’ve continued to increase internal DHS privacy compliance. Some of our efforts include conducting Privacy Threshold Analyses, Privacy Impact Assessments, and Privacy Act System of Records Notices. We also updated and disseminated our popular DHS Privacy Impact Assessment Guidance for 2007 and conducting tutorial workshops to train federal employees and contractors on the development and use of PIAs.

In response to growing federal attention to privacy issues, DHS has been a leader in issuing specific privacy guidance. We developed privacy documents regarding the use of Social Security numbers, protections afforded to non-U.S. persons, and a privacy incident response plan for the department. Additionally, we’ve implemented an inventory process aimed at reducing the use of social security numbers within the Department.

We are also working closely with our colleagues to ensure that privacy protections are integrated into DHS programs and rulemakings. Through our efforts to increase the transparency of high-profile department initiatives, we have participated in the rulemaking process, and actively sought to address privacy concerns raised by Congress, the privacy community, and the public. In addition, we continue to work with our international partners, expanding both our international outreach, as well as DHS and Federal involvement in international privacy initiatives.

Looking ahead, we see our next Annual Reporting cycle as a period of significant opportunity for the department to expand the presence of Privacy Officers and Privacy Points of Contact within DHS operational components. Our Disclosure and Freedom of Information practice will continue to substantially reduce Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request backlogs in components and improve the efficiency of the Department’s FOIA process. I encourage you to read our report (PDF).

Our work is far from over, but my dedicated team of privacy professionals is up to the challenge of working in a global environment where appropriate privacy protections are critical to fulfilling the Department’s mission.

Hugo Teufel
Chief Privacy Officer

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