Cracking Down on Child Sex Tourism

It’s one of the most horrific crimes imaginable: The sexual exploitation of children. In recent years, many sex offenders have sought to cover their tracks by traveling overseas, where they hope to conduct their criminal activities far from the reach of U.S. law enforcement.

Today we’re sending a message that they won’t get away with it.

I’m in Los Angeles, where U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Justice announced that three U.S. citizens, all previously convicted sex offenders, are being returned from Cambodia to the United States, where they will face federal charges for child sex tourism.

Under Operation Twisted Traveler, which launched in February, ICE is working closely with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the FBI and our law enforcement counterparts in Cambodia to identify and arrest Americans engaging in child sex tourism in that Southeast Asia country.

Today’s arrests and charges are the direct result of an extraordinary cooperation between ICE, the Cambodian National Police, the Department of State, and the non-governmental organizations who work in Cambodia to identify suspected sex tourists and rescue victims. Offering vital contributions to the effort are Action Pour Les Enfants (APLE), the International Justice Mission, and HAGAR International, three non-governmental organizations that shared valuable information to facilitate these arrests.

The three individuals named today are all alleged to have molested or raped children, some as young as 9 years old, in Cambodia. All have previous records of crimes against children. One of the suspects, a 75-year-old man, is reported to have ridden a motor scooter through the streets of the city of Siem Riep, dropping money behind him as a way to entice children, according to witness reports.

Combating the sexual exploitation of minors has been a leading priority for ICE under Operation Predator. Under this long-running initiative, we’ve arrested more than 11,000 sex offenders—including more than 1,100 outside the United States. Thanks to tougher laws against child sex tourism, we have the tools to target those offenders who travel abroad in the effort to evade capture by law enforcement.

There might have been a time when it was easier for predators to hide their crimes by crossing borders. ICE is leading the effort to ensure that child sex tourism becomes an issue of the past.

John Morton

John Morton is the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

5 Minutes or Less

You may have heard some talk in the news over the last few days about a new DHS program called Global Entry. We wanted to give you some details, in case it might apply to you. Global Entry is designed to speed trusted travelers through the customs and immigration inspection process when re-entering the United States. And among travelers already enrolled in the program, 75 percent are processed in five minutes or less.

The way it works: U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents apply for the program, pay a $100 fee, and are interviewed by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer. Following a successful background investigation, they are accepted into the program. Once accepted into the program, membership is good for five years and can be used at any participating airport in the country.

There are currently twenty international airports in the program. These include airports in or near the following major cities:

• Atlanta
• Boston
• Chicago
• Dallas
• Detroit
• Fort Lauderdale
• Honolulu
• Houston
• Las Vegas
• Los Angeles
• Miami
• New York
• Newark
• Orlando
• Philadelphia
• Sanford
• San Francisco
• San Juan, Puerto Rico
• Seattle
• Washington, D.C. (Dulles)

Here is the process for using the Global Entry system:

Walk up to the computer station.

Place passport or lawful permanent resident card into the machine reader.
Press fingers down on the pad Answer customs declaration inspections questions.
Take receipt Show it to CBP officers.
Travelers should be aware that CBP officers retain the right to question all entrants to the country, even Global Entry participants.

Further information:

The application form is located at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/travel/trusted_traveler/global_entry/.

Individuals with questions about the program may visit CBP’s Customer Service page at https://help.cbp.gov/cgi-bin/customs.cfg/php/enduser/home.php?p_sid=VsMWsEbj.

Check out the video below from Smart Planet on the new system:

Morning Roundup - August 31st

There was quite a bit of coverage over the weekend and this morning about the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. A few highlights below:

From The Hill:

The Obama administration says it is prepared to handle a major natural disaster on par with Hurricane Katrina.

President Barack Obama's White House and agencies are winning high marks from both Democrats and Republicans for efforts at both rebuilding and preparing for other storms, four years after Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast and damaged the Bush administration's legacy.

The Obama team went to work quickly after taking office, with Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano issuing a department-wide directive -- including to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) -- on Jan. 27 to ensure integration between state and federal agencies in planning for disasters.

On Jan. 28, Napolitano ordered a department review of plans to address Katrina's "lingering impacts," according to a White House fact sheet. And then on Jan. 29, FEMA announced an approved $23 million in Hazard Mitigation Grant Programs "to cover the entire cost of elevating 48 residential properties in Orleans Parish to the Advisory Base Flood Elevation."

Obama focused his weekly radio address on his administration's efforts on both the rebuilding and the preparation fronts.

"From the streets of New Orleans to the Mississippi Coast, folks are beginning the next chapter in their American stories," Obama said. "And together, we can ensure that the legacy of a terrible storm is a country that is safer and more prepared for the challenges that may come."

From Security Management:

In the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) post-Hurricane Katrina years under the Bush administration, state officials cited renewed engagement by their agency partners who worked with them directly at the regional level.

States remained less impressed, however, with their DHS partners in the nation's capital, who they said still took a closed-door, dictatorial approach to issues like grant management, handing down strict guidelines from on high while ignoring or disregarding states' needs and wants.

That has begun to change under the Obama administration, according to a report by Deb Weinstein, a student at Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism, assigned to the Medill News Service bureau in Washington, DC.

From the New York Times:

Houses still sit empty, residents are still scattered and streets still echo with the sounds of hammers and power saws. But on the fourth anniversary of the hurricane that redefined its future, New Orleans is no longer talking about mere recovery.

Yes, people are returning: the number of households receiving mail is now more than three-fourths of the pre-Katrina figures, according to the latest estimates, up from fewer than half three years ago. Projects stalled by red tape and the bad credit market, like the Lafitte public housing complex, are finally getting back on track.

But reverting to the city that existed here before the flood is not the goal. For a city that justly if sometimes self-consciously relishes its own nostalgia, there was much about pre-Katrina New Orleans, from the unstable floodwalls to the stagnant economy, that was best left behind. Employment had not grown for the six years before the storm. The population had been shrinking since the 1960s. In 2005, there were only two

Fortune 500 companies with headquarters here - now there is only one, Entergy, a power company.

So instead of returning to a decaying economic structure, New Orleans is talking about revitalization, a buzzword behind the new energy in the city, carried by an intensity and idealism that would have bordered on indecent in the old, charmingly carefree New Orleans.

From the Christian Science Monitor:

For the survivors, hurricane Katrina lives in memories, photographs, and the empty spaces left by lost friends and objects.

Its immediate toll was tragedy. The storm that crashed into New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast four years ago wreaked a shocking $80 billion in damage and resulted in 1,836 confirmed fatalities. But since then, its overall legacy has broadened and, one hopes, has not been all bad.

Count these among the lessons it taught and the changes it spawned:

.Volunteers matter a lot in a time of crisis.
.FEMA's mission has shifted from a top-down to a bottom-up approach.
.New appreciation has emerged of the need to retain and restore wetlands to help absorb storm surges.
.Storm-tracking capabilities have advanced in ways that improve public safety.
.Hurricanes have moved to the center of the climate-change debate.

"Katrina has become a symbolic event," says Russell Dynes, founding director of the University of Delaware's Disaster Recovery Center, in Newark.

The limits of centralized response

The storm four years ago ripped apart the fabric of New Orleans, but it also left a deep impression on emergency response workers nationwide. It showed, for one thing, how volunteer efforts - churches, college students - played a much more important role than expected and how the centralized response, led by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), alienated many of the same people it was intended to help.

After Katrina, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) overhauled its National Disaster Plan, incorporating a more bottom-up approach and going back to its roots as a civil, not military, response unit. FEMA's current director, Craig Fugate, is intent on setting policy to reflect his belief that citizens are less victims than crucial first responders.

Public Events
11:30 AM PDT
ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton will participate in media availability with the U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles to announce the first arrests made in conjunction with Operation Twisted Traveler, an international ICE-led initiative targeting Americans traveling to Cambodia to sexually exploit children
Room 7516
300 N. Los Angeles St.
Los Angeles, Calif.

Assistant Secretary for Policy Sits Down with Reporters

David Heyman, Assistant Secretary for Policy, sat down with reporters Wednesday to answer questions and discuss preparedness and business contingency planning for H1N1. He talked about what individuals and businesses can do to prepare for the upcoming flu--from taking care of your family to encouraging employers to be ready to support employees and their business.

Take a moment to view the video we put together to highlight some of his key points.

Viewing this video requires the Flash 9 plugin.

Morning Roundup - August 28th

From the Dallas Morning News, on the Secretary's committment to comprehensive immigration reform:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Thursday that she was optimistic that a bipartisan immigration-policy overhaul would, at some point, get through Congress.

"This is not a new issue," she said in a meeting with The Dallas Morning News' editorial board. "It's just putting together a comprehensive package that covers the immigration issues from A to Z. ... It's a priority for both me and the president."

Napolitano expressed hope that the effort, which has bogged down in Congress in years past, would not be as contentious as it was under former President George W. Bush.

She did not say when a bill would ultimately be considered since Congress and the White House are now consumed with health care legislation. So changes to immigration policy could be further down the road, though she has had meetings with Sen. Charles Schumer, the New York Democrat expected to take the lead on the issue.

"There is a bipartisan recognition that the current law is outdated and needs to be brought up to date with our current needs," she said.

Napolitano, the former governor of Arizona, has dealt with the effects of illegal immigration for much of her career in public service.

She said an immigration bill should focus on the following:

. Developing or bolstering the penalties for employers who repeatedly hire illegal immigrants.
. Stamping out the new tactics human traffickers and money launderers are using to exploit the border.
. Developing programs that would allow seasonal workers to legally enter the country.
. Updating the visa process to allow students with capabilities the country needs to remain in the U.S.

From the Associated Press, on rebuilding efforts along the gulf coast:

As a presidential candidate, Barack Obama pledged to right the wrongs he said bogged down efforts to rebuild the Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina. Seven months into the job, he's earning high praise from some unlikely places.

Gov. Bobby Jindal, R-La., says Obama's team has brought a more practical and flexible approach. Many local officials offer similar reviews. Even Doug O'Dell, former President George W. Bush's recovery coordinator, says the Obama administration's "new vision" appears to be turning things around.

Not too long ago, Jindal said in a telephone interview, Louisiana governors didn't have "very many positive things" to say about the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

But Jindal said he had a lot of respect for the current FEMA chief, Craig Fugate, and his team. "There is a sense of momentum and a desire to get things done," the governor said.

Added O'Dell: "I think the results are self-evident."

The retired Marine general served what he calls a frustrating stint as Bush's recovery coordinator last year. "What people have said to me is that for whatever reason, problems that were insurmountable under previous leadership are getting resolved quickly," O'Dell said.

"And I really hate to say that because (the top FEMA leaders) in my time there were good, hardworking, earnest men, but they were also the victims of their own bureaucracy."

From the Associated Press, on the new Fire Administrator:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano swore in Kelvin Cochran as the nation's new Fire Administrator on Thursday and emphasized to a gathering of emergency responders efforts the government is making to help struggling fire departments.

Napolitano reminded attendees at the Fire-Rescue International Conference that the federal stimulus bill provides $210 million in Assistance to Firefighter grants for fire stations.

Congress also will waive the requirement that local governments match funds when they split an additional $210 million worth of Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response grants this year. That move will let fire departments rehire laid-off firefighters. The Department of Homeland Security plans to ask for double that amount for next year, Napolitano said.

"Cities and states are cash-strapped right now and we want to do things, to the extent we can, so that our emergency services continue our security planning continues unimpeded," she said after swearing in Cochran.

From Fire Rescue 1, on H1N1 preparedness:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano admitted Thursday the swine flu vaccine is unlikely to be ready for the start of the next expected wave of the virus, and urged the fire service to be ready for outbreaks.

"In all likelihood, this flu will be back on our shores before any vaccine is available," she said.

Secretary Napolitano said shots to protect against the H1N1 virus should be available about mid-October.

During an address to Fire-Rescue International in Dallas, Secretary Napolitano said fire departments should begin planning for high rates of absenteeism, not only due to member sickness but from those having to stay at home to tend to children with the virus.

Secretary Napolitano urged departments to begin looking at leave and overtime policies. "Do it now, before we are in the midst of this next flu season," she said.

Public Events
10 AM CDT
USCG Sector Lake Michigan Commander Capt. Luann Barndt and Col. Vincent Quarles, Commander of the Army Corps of Engineers' Chicago District will conduct a press briefing to discuss public safety and vessel traffic issues concerning the Aquatic Nuisance Species Dispersal barrier in Romeoville, IL.
W Edgewood Dr
Under the Romeo Road Bridge adjacent to the Citgo Lamont Refinery.
Romeoville, IL

Fact Vs. Fiction: Recovery Act Funding for Ports of Entry

David Aguilar, Acting Deputy Commissioner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, posted clarification about the $420 million in Recovery Act funding to replace aging infrastructure and enhance safety at 43 ports of entry across the on the Leadership Journal.

The assessment to rank the conditions and needs of all 163 U.S. land ports of entry started in 2003. CBP incorporated over 60 factors across four categories, ranging from health and life safety concerns to workload growth and space and site deficiencies. For ARRA funds, which were tied to construction timelines, CBP also identified and analyzed a range of factors that could impact the feasibility of meeting these timelines.

Read more on the Leadership Journal.

Morning Roundup - August 27th

From the Louisville Courier-Journal, an interview with Secretary Napolitano:

U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that the federal government is more prepared than ever to respond to a Hurricane Katrina-like disaster and that the county is safer than ever against foreign terrorist attack.

In a wide-ranging hour-long interview with The Courier-Journal's editorial board, the former Arizona governor, who took over the federal post in January, said an issue receiving ever more attention by her agency is the threat of domestic terrorism. She added that the department is also focused on potential threats to the private sector, such as cyber-terrorism.

Napolitano said that while the threat of a terrorist attack "remains with us" it doesn't come solely from Al Qaida and that the "methods" of possible attack are varied.
"We're stronger now and we keep getting stronger," Napolitano said. "We're certainly stronger than before 9/11." She added that the department needs to continue to "reduce the risk and strengthen our ability to respond."

From the Houston Chronicle, on a new immigration task force:

Immigration officials on Wednesday announced plans to create a task force to crack down what they described as a tremendous local problem - immigration document and benefit fraud.

"We've noticed a tremendous amount of document and benefit fraud occurring within the Greater Houston area," said Pat McElwain, the assistant special agent in charge for Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Houston and head of the newly created task force.

The task force is still forming, and ICE officials are talking to other federal agencies, such as the U.S. Attorney's Office, and local agencies, including the Houston Police Department and Harris County Sheriff's Office, about participation, McElwain said.
Gregory Palmore, an ICE spokesman, said ICE does not have statistics available on document fraud in Houston and could not go into details about cases locally that are under investigation.

Nationally, ICE has 17 fraudulent document task forces up and running that have been credited with a number of high-profile cases, McElwain said.

From NextGov, on Cyberstorm III:

The Homeland Security Department's third large-scale cybersecurity drill in September 2010 will test the national cyber response plan currently being developed by the Obama administration, said industry and government participants in the simulation exercise during a conference on Tuesday.

Cyber Storm III will build upon the lessons learned in the two previous exercises that took place in February 2006 and March 2008, and provide the first opportunity to assess the White House strategy for responding to a cyberattack with nationwide impact.

"The national cyber response plan will be an offshoot of a lot of the findings that came out of Cyber Storm I and II that will formalize the roles and responsibilities," said Brett Lambo, director of the cyber exercises program in DHS' national cybersecurity division. He participated on an afternoon panel at the GFirst conference in Atlanta hosted by the department's U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team. "It's not a direct cause-and-effect relationship, but a lot of questions bubbled up [from the exercises]," followed by the announcement along with President Obama's 60-day cyber review that a response plan should be developed.

Leadership Events
9:15 AM CDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the 2009 Fire-Rescue International Conference, swear in Kelvin Cochran as U.S. Fire Administrator and participate in a media availability
Dallas Convention Center Arena
650 South Griffin Street
Dallas, Texas

Public Events
9 AM EDT
NPPD Deputy Under Secretary Philip Reitinger will deliver remarks about DHS cybersecurity priorities and how to better build and sustain current and future cyber partnerships at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD Federal Network Security (FNS) Director Matt Coose will participate in a presentation at the GFIRST Conference about the activities of the FNS Branch
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

Secretary's Remarks to the American Legion

The Secretary just wrapped up remarks at the American Legion's 2009 National Convention. She spoke about the Department’s ongoing support and outreach to American veterans, and announced her commitment to employ 50,000 veterans at DHS by 2012. The department currently employs over 46,000 veterans; one quarter of its workforce.

“The men and women of the armed services work tirelessly every day to ensure the safety and security of the American people,” said Secretary Napolitano. “We are honored by the thousands of veterans working at DHS who use their unique experience and extraordinary dedication to help DHS protect our nation from threats and prepare for disasters.”

The 2009 National Convention, in Louisville, KY this year, is the governing body of the American Legion, and brings together the Legion's 55 departments to chart the course forward for the Legion.


After her speech, the Secretary stopped in a meeting of the Women's Auxiliary and discussed her own adolescent experiences at the New Mexico Girls State session. Girls State is sponsored by the American Legion, and provides "hands-on citizenship training" to high school juniors around the country. This year, Girls State is emphasizing "Patriotism, Participation, and Progress." You can visit the American Legion's website for more information.

The Secretary also spoke to the Women's Auxiliary about the importance of preparedness, particularly around the topic of H1N1. She emphasized that we all possess a shared responsibility when it comes to being ready for any kind of national situation; be it H1N1, a natural disaster, or a terrorist incident. She ended her impromptu remarks to a standing ovation, with one member of the women's auxiliary reportedly yelling out, "Yeah, girl!"

You can check out the Secretary's remarks here.

Morning Roundup - August 25th

From the New Orleans Times-Picayune, with an interview with Secretary Napolitano:

Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said Monday that it's her department's job to conclude the long-running dispute over how much FEMA owes Louisiana for the damage inflicted on Charity Hospital by Hurricane Katrina, but up to Louisianians to figure out what happens next and how to pay for what FEMA won't.

"They have to make choices and we're not in a position to make choices for communities, " Napolitano said in an interview with The Times-Picayune in advance of Saturday's fourth anniversary of Katrina.

"What we are in the business of is facilitating the recovery of the community -- breaking through some of the bureaucratic entanglements that existed prior to January and moving things through as quickly as possible within the confines of what we're able to provide, " Napolitano said.

Napolitano's comments on Charity track those made last week by President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. All expect Louisiana to use a new binding arbitration process established for resolving disputes between the Federal Emergency Management Agency and state and local officials.

From the Newark Star Ledger, on Global Entry:

For $100 and a fingerprinting session, frequent international travelers can now shave a few minutes off their wait time after landing at Newark Liberty International Airport.

Starting today, pre-approved U.S. citizens and permanent residents re-entering the country can skip passport-checking lines and pass through an automated kiosk instead.

"For frequent business travelers, it's a great program," said John Saleh, a spokesman for the U.S. Customs and Border Protection office in New York. "They come off the plane with their carry-on, they go up to the kiosk, and they're out the door within a couple minutes."

From the Associated Press, on CBP's repatriation program:

Immigration authorities are flying illegal immigrants deep into their native Mexico from Southern Arizona to discourage dangerous crossings in triple-digit desert heat.

The twice-daily flights from Tucson to Mexico City are intended to keep immigrants away from border towns where they would likely run into smugglers who want to sneak them back into the U.S.

"This is where the probability of losing their lives can really increase. We offer that opportunity for them to get out of that cycle," John Torres, a special adviser to the assistant secretary of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said Monday in Tucson.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security flights began Saturday for the sixth straight summer and will end Sept. 28.

Tucson is the only spot in this country where the flights depart. Arizona is the busiest illegal entry point into the U.S.

Since 2004, more than 82,000 Mexicans have been returned as part of the repatriation program. The number, however, represents just a small portion of illegal immigrants in this country.

Public Events

8 AM EDT

U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will deliver remarks about Coast Guard Diversity initiatives at the Coast Guard Training Forum of the Blacks in Government National Training Convention
Baltimore Hilton Hotel
1 West Pratt Street
Baltimore, Md.

8:30 AM EDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications Gregory Schaffer will deliver opening remarks at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

10:30 AM EDT
NPPD Critical Infrastructure Protection Cybersecurity Program Director Patrick Beggs will deliver remarks at the GFIRST Conference about information technology sector risk
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

1 PM CDT
Office of Health Affairs (OHA) Acting Director for Food, Agriculture and Veterinary Defense Doug Meckes, D.V.M., will participate in a panel discussion about animal identification needs related to homeland security issues at the ID Info Expo 2009
Westin Crown Center Hotel
One Pershing Road
Kansas City, Mo.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD Cyber Exercise Program Director Brett Lambo will deliver remarks about cyber exercises at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD National Cyber Security Division Acting Director Dr. Peter Fonash will participate in a panel discussion about raising cybersecurity awareness at the GFIRST Conference
Omni Hotel at CNN Center
100 CNN Center
Atlanta, Ga.

Morning Roundup - August 24th

From HS Today, on the Coast Guard's arctic presence:

One of the final presidential policy directives issued by the Bush administration, Homeland Security Presidential Directive 25 (HSPD- 25) , issued on January 9 2009 declared that the "United States is an Arctic nation", with varied and critical security interests in the Arctic region.

Since taking office the Obama administration and new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary Janet Napolitano have reiterated the call for deeper focus on the Arctic, citing in particular the global security implications of climate change in the region, which by melting summer sea ice is fast accelerating maritime activity and the flow of goods, oil, gas and other resources.

Last Thursday at a special "field hearing" held in Anchorage, Alaska by US Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, US Coast Guard Commandant Thad Allen, discussed how the Coast Guard was stepping up its Arctic Presence to address the challenges emerging in that fast changing region.

From ABC, on the Border Patrol's efforts to disrupt smuggling in Nogales:

Maria Elena Leyva cannot see the problem that has recently made her hometown notorious along the US-Mexican border.

It is beneath her feet -- hidden in the earth below hills speckled with mesquites, pines, and oaks.

In the words of the county sheriff, Nogales is becoming "the drug-tunnel capital of the world."

Since 1990, the US Border Patrol has found 109 tunnels along the border with Mexico, all in California and Arizona. Sixty-five -- or 60 percent -- have been found in Nogales, with 16 of those discovered in the past nine months.

Until the 1990s, the international line here was just a chain-link fence that allowed Americans and Mexicans to look each other in the eye, Ms. Leyva recalls, sitting on a porch only two blocks from the border. But during the past few years in particular, an arsenal of manpower, physical barriers, and electronic surveillance has made the border a virtual fortress.

This has forced drug smugglers to look for alternate means of moving marijuana, heroine, and cocaine into the US. "We've increased our enforcement on the ground, so they have to compensate for it and that's why they're developing tunnels," Border Patrol spokesman Michael Scioli says.

Public Events
9 AM PDT
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Air & Marine Operations personnel will participate in a media availability and demonstration of the newly acquired Advanced Concept Demonstrator Vessel
Squallicum Harbor Boat Ramp
Roeder Avenue and Bellwether Way
Bellingham, Wash.

3 PM MST
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Advisor to the Assistant Secretary John P. Torres will participate in a media availability about the beginning of the 2009 Mexican Interior Repatriation Program (MIRP)
Tucson International Airport
Executive Flight Terminal
Tucson, Ariz.

Secretary Attends CPR Certification Training

The Secretary, along with 25 senior officials at the Department, were instructed by Red Cross officials today on CPR and basic first aid.

Watch the video below for the Secretary's remarks from today's training.


Then check our ready.gov for more information on how you can be prepared at home and at work.

Viewing this video requires the Flash 9 plugin.

Current Atlantic Storm Activity

The Atlantic is calmer today than it was the beginning of the week. Both Ana and Claudette have dissipated completely, and Hurricane Bill is becoming less organized, though still a large storm.

Here's the current situation as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC):

Hurricane Bill

Currently Hurricane Bill is located 695 miles Southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Bill is traveling 18 MPH and is gradually turning north-northwest. If you live on the coast of New England you should be monitoring the forecast in your area.

Bill has been lowered to a category two hurricane. The maximum sustained winds are currently 110 MPH, though the National Hurricane Center cautions that there could be fluctuations in intensity over the next two days.

Click here for the latest public advisory on Bill.

All information in the above posted was drawn from the National Hurricane Center

Morning Roundup - August 20th

From the Associated Press, on yesterday's H1N1 guidance:

Government officials are calling on U.S. businesses to help manage swine flu this fall by getting vaccines to vulnerable workers and encouraging employees with symptoms to stay home.

Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said Wednesday that employers should develop plans for managing both seasonal and swine flu. Businesses should encourage employees who are at-risk for swine flu to get the vaccine as soon as it becomes available. First in line are pregnant women, health care workers and younger adults with conditions such as asthma.

The government is trying to prepare for the possibility of a widespread outbreak this fall, which could hurt businesses along with the broader economy by keeping workers home. Unlike regular seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus which causes swine flu has not retreated during the hot and humid summer months, and so far has infected more than 1 million Americans.

Locke briefed reporters on recommendations for U.S. businesses at a press conference alongside Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

From the North County Times in California, on ICE Assistant Secretary Morton's visit to San Diego yesterday:

A top-level official with the Department of Homeland Security said in San Diego on Wednesday that the agency would more strictly focus its enforcement efforts on arresting illegal immigrants with criminal histories.

In recent years, the agency has been criticized by immigrant rights activists for using raids ostensibly aimed at targeted individuals who were a threat to national security or community safety, but also arresting illegal immigrants nearby, known as collateral arrests.

John Morton, the assistant secretary for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who was in San Diego on Wednesday, said that the agency would more tightly focus the program on criminal immigrants but would not give a "free pass" to those who have been ordered to leave the country by an immigration judge.

"If we're going to have any kind of system that works and has credibility, there's got to be enforcement," Morton said.

Public Events
2:30 PM Local
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will testify before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittee on Homeland Security about the Coast Guard’s Arctic Presence
University of Alaska Anchorage
Consortium Library Lew Haines Memorial Room (Room 307)
3211 Providence Drive
Anchorage, Alaska

Preparing Businesses for the Upcoming Flu Season

Secretary Napolitano joined Secretaries Gary Locke of the Department of Commerce and Kathleen Sebelius of the Department of Health and Human Services this morning to announce new guidelines for businesses in preparation for flu season. The guidelines were released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Secretary Napolitano stated, “Ensuring business continuity is important to our cooperative efforts to keep Americans safe.”

The guidelines stress the importance of frequent hand washing and routine cleaning of common areas. The guidelines also strongly suggest that employers be flexible with sick leave policies, understanding that employees may have to stay home with a sick family member. They also recommend that employers take time to review current sick leave policies with their employees.

More guidelines for employers and families are available online at flu.gov.

Current Atlantic Storm Activity

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) is issuing multiple daily advisories on Hurricane Bill, this season’s first hurricane. They are also keeping an eye on the remnants of Tropical Depression Ana. Details on both storms below.

Here's the current situation as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC):

Hurricane Bill

Hurricane Bill is currently located 380 miles east-northeast of the Leeward Islands and is moving west-northwest at 18 MPH. It is expected to travel on this trajectory today and Thursday.

Hurricane Bill is a category four hurricane with maximum sustained winds of 135 MPH with higher gusts. The current forecast indicates that Hurricane Bill could strengthen in the next 24 hours.

Large swells caused by Hurricane Bill could begin to affect the Eastern Coast of the United States Friday and Saturday. Check with your local national weather forecast office for possible weather advisories in your area.

Click here for the latest public advisory on Bill.

Ana

The showers and other remnants of Tropical Depression Ana are gradually diminishing. There is a less than 30 percent chance of this system reforming into a tropical cyclone again.

Click here for the latest public advisory on Ana.

All information in the above posted was drawn from the National Hurricane Center

Morning Roundup - August 19th

From the Times-Picayune, on the Secretary's announcement in New Orleans on Monday:

Southern University at New Orleans, which has clawed its way back to 85 percent of its pre-Hurricane Katrina enrollment, will get $32 million in additional grants to rebuild four academic buildings on its original campus, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday in front of a receptive faculty conclave.

The secretary's announcement ends a long-running dispute between the flood-ravaged school and the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the primary source of rebuilding money for state and local government entities.

The grants will bring SUNO's post-storm federal aid to $92 million. And it underscores a federal commitment to rebuild the institution's Pontchartrain Park campus on Press Drive, rather than moving the entire university to the makeshift lakeside campus that opened in temporary buildings after Katrina.

The anticipated construction on the original 17-acre campus -- combined with ongoing projects on the Lake Campus -- should result in a more impressive physical plant for SUNO than the 11-building, 3,600-student campus that flooded almost four years ago. The university already has partially refurbished six buildings, and it has broken ground on a new technology building, a business school and a $44 million residential complex.

From the Yuma Sun, on the Border Patrol's arrest of a wanted gang member:

Two Border Patrol agents nabbed a wanted gang member after spotting him during a bicycle patrol in San Luis, Ariz., Monday evening.

BP said several arrest warrants had been issued for the suspect who had been on the run from the San Luis Police Department for some time.

According to BP, on Aug. 12 agents assigned to the Yuma Station bike patrol unit assisted SLPD with a domestic violence call. The subject fled the scene before agents arrived.

"The Border Patrol agents were asked to help a police officer respond to the domestic violence call because he was alone," said Laura Boston, Border Patrol agent with the Yuma Sector Public Affairs.

The agents were later informed by San Luis police that the subject was a known member of the Plaza Barrio Wild Gang in that city and had several active felony warrants for domestic violence, dangerous drugs and felony flight.

Leadership Events
11 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will participate in a media availability to announce H1N1 business guidance
Department of Commerce
Main Auditorium
1401 Constitution Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20230

Public Events
2:15 PM EDT
NPPD Supervisory Program Analyst Ryan Oremland will present an update on the National Emergency Communications Plan at the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) International Annual Conference and Expo
Hilton Pavilion 6
Las Vegas Hilton
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nev.

3:45 PM EDT
NPPD Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) Director Chris Essid will deliver remarks about the OEC and the National Emergency Communications Plan at the APCO International Annual Conference and Expo
Conrad Room
Las Vegas Hilton
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, Nev.

4:40 PM EDT
ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton will be participating in a pen and pad with San Diego-area media
185 West F Street
2nd Floor
San Diego, California

Secretary's Upcoming Radio Appearances

Secretary Napolitano will appear live on two radio shows tomorrow, and NPR's Weekend Edition this Sunday. The shows and websites are below. Tune in.

Beth and Bill: 9:20 AM tomorrow morning

KGO News Talk: Tomorrow morning

Secretary Napolitano's NPR Weekend Edition interview will air this Saturday.

Secretary in New Orleans

Secretary Napolitano was in New Orleans yesterday to announce more than $32 million in funding for the rebuilding of four educational buildings at the Southern University at New Orleans (SUNO). The $32 million will be used to replace SUNO’s Old Science, New Science, Multipurpose and Clark education buildings--all damaged beyond repair during Hurricane Katrina.

“Expediting the recovery process for local communities affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita continues to be a top priority for the Department,” said Secretary Napolitano. “These public assistance funds represent our commitment to helping residents of the Gulf Coast rebuild as quickly and effectively as possible.”

Secretary Napolitano made the announcement during a visit to SUNO, where she was joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate and Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Janet Woodka to discuss Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts with federal, state and local partners.

“Today’s announcement is one more example of the great strides FEMA’s Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office has made in expediting assistance to New Orleans and Louisiana,” said FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate. “Under the guidance of the President and Secretary Napolitano, FEMA’s Louisiana Transitional Recovery Office director Tony Russell and his team have worked closely with the state on rebuilding and recovery projects such as SUNO, and we look forward to continuing and strengthening this important partnership.”

In the seven months since Secretary Napolitano was sworn in, FEMA has obligated more than $895 million in public assistance funds for Louisiana recovery—including more than $404 million for education, $130 million for public works, $49 million for public safety and protection, $54 million for health care, $217 million for public infrastructure and $40 million for debris removal.

“This is an example of what can be done when federal agencies, the state, and local officials come together as partners,” said Woodka. “The Administration is committed to continuing to work with all those who have a stake in moving New Orleans and the Gulf Coast forward.”

GFIRST

We’re taking a moment today to feature an important conference coming up at the end of the month. Yes, there are a lot of government conferences every year, and truthfully, we don’t spend a lot of time highlighting them. This blog wouldn’t be a blog anymore if we did; it would be a…well I don’t know, it would just be someplace where conferences are posted. The GFIRST National Conference, however, stands out as one we want to get on the radar for folks outside of the general government conference circuit.

GFIRST focuses on cybersecurity, and brings together dedicated professionals to participate in information-sharing groups, learn about the latest trends and preemptive measures, and listen to expert speakers discuss the latest in cybersecurity news. GFIRST organizers and speakers will use five pillars to communicate the conference’s message. They are:

• Threat
• Vulnerability
• Attack & Detection
• Mitigation
• Reflection

Click here to learn more about how these five pillars guide the discussion on cybersecurity. If you’re a cybersecurity professional, think about coming to the GFIRST conference – you can register onsite. The 5th Annual GFIRST National Conference takes place in Atlanta, Georgia this year from August 23rd-28th, and is hosted by US-CERT, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team. US-CERT is a partnership between DHS and the public and private sectors, and charged with protecting the nation's Internet infrastructure by coordinating defense against and response to cyber attacks.

The conference will have nearly 100 sessions with six seminar tracks, based on the GFIRST5 pillars, plus one more: Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP). This is the third consecutive year that the GFIRST Conference will serve as a venue for the Justice Department’s CHIP to hold its Coordinators’ Conference.

Senior cybersecurity officials from DHS and the private sector will speak at the conference, including: Philip Reitinger, Deputy Undersecretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate and Director of the National Cybersecurity Center, and Greg Schaffer, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications. Dave DeWalt, President and Chief Executive Officer of McAfee, Inc. will also address the conference.

For more information on the 5th Annual GFIRST National Conference, please visit: http://www.us-cert.gov/GFIRST.

Morning Roundup - August 18th

From the Associated Press, on the Secretary's trip to New Orleans yesterday:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Monday the Obama administration was honoring its pledge to cut red tape and speed the flow of rebuilding aid to the Gulf Coast, with more than $895 million in infrastructure funds set aside for Louisiana since President Barack Obama took office.

The latest pledge of money - $32 million - was announced during her second visit in five months to Southern University at New Orleans, which was virtually wiped out by Hurricane Katrina nearly four years ago. Only a few buildings have been renovated to date, and some classes and school activities are still held in trailers at a nearby campus.

The money is to replace four buildings. The school and Federal Emergency Management Agency had previously not come to terms on the level of damage caused by the Aug. 29, 2005 storm and levee breaches.

"It's really awesome," Chancellor Victor Ukpolo said.

Shortly after taking her post earlier this year, Napolitano ordered a fresh look at hurricane recovery efforts that had been marred by red tape, finger-pointing and hard feelings by officials at all levels. The review prompted, among other things, joint federal-state teams to resolve project disputes.

From USA Today, on a new set of charges for a known hacker:

Federal authorities in New Jersey on Monday charged accused TJX hacker Albert Gonzalez and two unnamed Russians with also cracking into the computer systems of Heartland Payment Systems, 7-Eleven, Hannaford Bros. and two unidentified companies.

Gonzalez, 28, of Miami, is now at the epicenter of the largest data breach criminal case in U.S. history. He was previously charged on May 2008 and August 2008 by federal authorities in eastern New York and Massachusetts, suspected of breaching data systems linked to more than 2,500 stores owned by the TJX (TJX) retail chain, parent of T.J. Maxx. TJX reported losing more than 94 million payment card transactions. Gonzalez pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.

He faces the Heartland charges beyond that. "This investigation marks the continued success of law enforcement in tracking down cutting-edge hacking schemes," Ralph Marra, acting U.S. Attorney of New Jersey said in a statement.

From the Wall Street Journal, on preparing for H1N1:

With about 55 million U.S. children heading back to school in the next few weeks, concerns are growing that the H1N1 swine flu will spread even further than it already has. Identified by scientists four months ago, the virus has already turned up in nearly every corner of the world, from Argentina to Iran. It defied public-health officials' predictions of a lull in the warm summer months, proliferating in military units and children's summer camps.

More than two million people are believed to have contracted the new flu in the U.S.; 7,511 had been hospitalized and 477 had died as of Aug. 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. World-wide, 177,457 people have been confirmed with the disease, and 1,462 deaths had been reported as of Aug. 12, according to the World Health Organization.

A vaccine against the new flu is under development, but it is unlikely to be widely available before the flu season gets under way. That could leave many people scrambling to protect themselves and their children.

Here is what you need to know:

How dangerous is the H1N1 swine flu?

Public Events
2 PM Local
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will participate in a media availability about Arctic Domain Awareness
Fairbanks International Airport
General Aviation Hanger
6459 Airport Way
Fairbanks, Alaska

Current Atlantic Storm Activity

The first few named systems of the 2009 Atlantic Season have formed in recent days, including Hurricane Bill, the first hurricane of the year for the Atlantic.

Here's the current situation as reported by the National Hurricane Center (NHC):

Hurricane Bill

Hurricane Bill is currently located about 1080 miles east of the Lesser Antilles, and is moving west-northwest at about 16 MPH.

Maximum sustained winds have increased to 90 MPH, and some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours. Bill could become a “major hurricane” by Wednesday. The NHC classifies a “major hurricane” as any storm that reaches category three strength, with sustained wind speeds between 111-130 MPH.

Because it’s still so far offshore, no watches or warnings are currently in effect for Bill.

Click here for the latest public advisory on Bill.

Tropical Depression Ana

Tropical Depression Ana is currently located about 75 miles south of San Juan, Puerto Rico and is moving west-northwest at about 28 MPH. The storm is expected to continue on this track, with a reduction in forward speed, over the next day or two.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 MPH, and though little change in strength is forecast during the next 24 hours, Ana could degenerate into a tropical wave later today.

A Tropical Storm Watch is now in effect for Puerto Rico, The U.S. Virgin Islands, The British Virgin Islands, and The Dominican Republic from Punta Palenque to the Northern Haiti/Dominican Republic Border. A Tropical Storm Watch means that tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area, and in this case within 24 hours.

Click here for the latest public advisory on Ana.

Tropical Depression Claudette

The NHC has issued its final public advisory on Claudette.

Rainfall continues across the Florida Panhandle and southern Alabama as Claudette moves inland. Claudette will weaken as it continues its track northwestward through Alabama. The center of Claudette is expected to move over Southwestern Alabama through the day Monday and into Northeastern Mississippi by Monday night.

Maximum sustained winds are near 30 MPH.

All information in the above posted was drawn from the National Hurricane Center.

Morning Roundup - August 17th

From the Houston Chronicle, an op-ed written by Secretary Napotlitano:

As a former U.S. attorney, attorney general and governor of Arizona, I spent more than 15 years working in the Southwest and watching the challenges of our shared border evolve over time. Since the beginning of the Obama administration, our response to these challenges has evolved as well.

The change is needed.

For the past eight years the federal government approached the Southwest border as having a set of problems that were somehow independent from our nation's broader challenges with immigration, security, counternarcotics enforcement and international cooperation.

But there's a more strategic, more cooperative path, and we are taking it.

The Obama administration's approach is to view border security, interior immigration enforcement and counternarcotics enforcement as inextricably linked.

At the top of our border security mission is combating violence by Mexico-based drug cartels. To be sure, we haven't seen anything like Mexico's cartel violence here in the U.S. But the smuggling organizations are transnational, and the Obama administration is giving this issue the highest-level attention.

Over the past six months, we have forged a true partnership with Mexico's President Felipe Calderon, while building stronger relations with agencies across the federal government, and at the state, local and tribal level.

From Federal Computer Week, on Secure Flight:

Aug 14, 2009 Airlines will start asking passengers to provide their birth dates and gender on Aug. 15 as the Transportation Security Administration continues to take over from airlines the responsibility of screening travelers against subsets of the government's terrorist watch list.

The additional information will be required from passengers as part of TSA's Secure Flight passenger vetting program. However, if passengers aren't prompted to provide the additional information by a particular airline, they shouldn't worry as it won't affect their travel, TSA said in a statement.

As part of that multibillion-dollar, multi-phase information technology program, aircraft operators will be required to provide every passenger's information to TSA.

That agency, which is part of the Homeland Security Department, will then compare that information to the relevant watch list subsets and tell the airline whether it is authorized to print a boarding pass.

From the Associated Press, on current storm activity:

Tropical Storm Claudette made landfall on the Florida Panhandle near Fort Walton Beach early Monday while Hurricane Bill became the first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic season.

Claudette, the first named storm to hit the U.S. mainland this year, was weakening as it moved farther inland Monday. But even before its arrival, the storm dumped heavy rains in some areas Sunday. It was not expected to cause significant flooding or wind damage.

Elsewhere, Hurricane Bill had maximum sustained winds near 75 mph but was expected to strengthen.

"We do believe (Bill) could become a major hurricane during the next couple of days," said Daniel Brown, a hurricane specialist for the National Hurricane Center in Miami.

Bill was centered about 1,160 miles east of the Lesser Antilles and moving quickly west-northwest at 22 mph. The first hurricane of the 2009 Atlantic hurricane season ironically shares the same name as National Hurricane Center Director Bill Read.

Leadership Events
10:30 AM CDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks about Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts and participate in a media availability with Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator (FEMA) Craig Fugate and Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding Janet Woodka
Southern University at New Orleans
University Cafeteria
6400 Press Drive
New Orleans, La.

Public Events
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Director of Software Assurance Joe Jarzombek will deliver remarks about national efforts for deploying software systems at the annual METROCON Technical Conference
Sheraton Arlington Hotel
1500 Convention Center Drive
Arlington, Texas

10:30 AM PDT
ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton will be participating in a pen and pad with Los Angeles-area media
300 N. Los Angeles Street
Room 1275
Los Angeles, California

12 PM Local
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will participate in a media availability about Arctic Domain Awareness
Nome Airport
Army National Guard Hanger
500 Bering Street
Nome, Alaska

Morning Roundup - August 14th

From the San Antonio Express-News, on yesterday's agreement:

High-ranking U.S. and Mexican government officials signed an agreement in San Antonio on Thursday they say provides an unprecedented level of cooperation between the two countries in fighting cross-border drug crime.

The letter of intent recommends a joint strategic plan in weapons and ammunition trafficking investigations. The letter was signed during the last day of a convention for Border Security Task Force (BEST) teams, which are led by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The conference also was attended by senior Mexican officials.

"This will leverage the investigative capabilities of both governments and launch a more unified effort in investigating weapons smuggling cases," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said.

Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora said the deal recognizes shared responsibility for the gun-trafficking problem.

"Mexico is very, very respectful of the legal constitutional framework in the U.S.," he said. "But the Second Amendment was never meant to arm foreign criminal groups, and we should go after the criminals that are illegally shipping weapons into the criminal hands of groups based in our country."

ICE assistant secretary John Morton also announced the first BEST office to open in Mexico for Mexican law enforcement officers and U.S. agents to share information and evidence. ICE has 15 BEST teams along U.S. borders.

From Federal Computer Week, on the new civic network "Our Border":

The Homeland Security Department has created a moderated social network designed to spur informed debate and discussion about topics related to the United States' Southwestern border.

The network named Our Border is hosted on the site Ning.com and is open to everyone. But although posted content is visible to anyone who visits, people need to have an account with the Ning network to participate, DHS said. However, the network is administered and moderated by DHS and all content is reviewed by the department before it's posted, according to the network's content policy.

DHS will use the network to communicate the department's policy, post photos and videos, and engage in dialogue, according to the policies detailed on Our Border. The department administers the network and plans to eventually use Ning's live chat feature on Our Border, according to DHS' privacy impact assessment.

Four discussion groups are currently available on the site: Customs and Border Protection, Comprehensive Immigration Reform, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Also from Federal Computer Week, on Global Entry:

The Homeland Security Department's international registered traveler program is going strong. The program is expanding from seven airports to 20 airports starting Aug. 24, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano announced.

DHS started the Global Entry international trusted traveler program in June 2008 as a pilot project at three airports. It grew to seven airports last fall.

U.S. citizens and others who want to enroll in Global Entry must submit to a security check and interview and provide a fingerprint. Once enrolled, upon returning to the United States, they can use a kiosk to process their passports and scan their fingerprints. This typically results in less waiting than a manual check by U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees, DHS said.

To date, approximately 16,000 members have enrolled in Global Entry at the seven existing locations and in April, DHS signed an agreement for reciprocal treatment with airports in the Netherlands.

This month, the department will add 13 more airports to the program, Napolitano said in a news release Aug. 12.

"Expanding this vital program allows us to improve customer service at airports and concentrate our resources on higher-risk travelers," Napolitano said.

From the Palm Beach Post, on welcoming a new group of citizens and opening a new USCIS facility:

After Kalvin Berice Lindo became an American citizen on Thursday, he kissed his crying wife, took a deep breath and said, "I finally feel like I'm part of the world."

The 55-year-old man, originally from Jamaica, stood proudly with 24 others as they vowed to be great Americans. And though naturalization ceremonies take place at least twice a week in Palm Beach County, this ceremony was even more special because it took place at the grand opening of the new U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services building on Belvedere Road in Royal Palm Beach.

U.S. Rep Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton, and newly inducted USCIS director Alejandro Mayorkas were on hand for the traditional ribbon-cutting ceremony and to congratulate the 25 for their accomplishments.

"It's a wonderful moment you'll remember forever," Klein said. "You have a special responsibility to take it upon yourself to make our country stronger and better."

The 38,000 square foot building, which opened in March, is expected to process 57,000 customers a year. More than one million people become U.S. citizens each year and about 8,000 of those become citizens here in Palm Beach County, said Sharon Scheidhauer, USCIS spokeswoman.

Public Events
6PM EDT
USCIS Office of Citizenship Chief Rebecca Carson will participate in an information session for immigrants interested in learning more about U.S. citizenship and the naturalization process
USCIS Atlanta Field Office
2150 Parklake Drive
Atlanta, Ga.

Morning Roundup - August 13th

From the Associated Press, on a mutual pledge to cooperate in the fight against cartel-related violence:

The U.S. heads of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives plan to sign a letter of intent with the attorney general of Mexico again pledging cooperation and shared intelligence in the battle against drug cartels and other border violence.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina Mora and ATF's acting director, Kenneth Melson, will meet in San Antonio on Thursday at a border security conference.

The letter of intent isn't as weighty as some previous agreements but was being used by officials to again pledge cooperation to stop escalating cartel-related violence.

From Weather.com, on the latest tropical outlook:

Tropical Depression 2 is slowly but surely gaining organization in the eastern Atlantic and is likely on its way to becoming Tropical Storm Ana.

Meanwhile, what is that big thunderstorm complex to its right? It's a well-developed tropical low that has now emerged off the coast of Africa. It definitely bears watching.

Model run after model run of several models continues to develop this tropical low into an eventual tropical depression, tropical storm and then hurricane.

A model run, by the way, is the time when a computer program produces a possible future weather scenario given the atmospheric conditions at the present time.

Generally speaking, this is done about 2 to 4 times a day (a few weather models, however, are run every 2 to 3 hours).

One such weather model that develops this large disturbance is the GFS (Global Forecast System) model. You can see its depiction of the tropical Atlantic for this coming Sunday morning below.

Take note of what happens to TD 2 (perhaps by then, Ana). It shows an eventual weakening of TD 2 as it approaches the northern Windward Islands.

Meanwhile, the GFS predicts that the tropical low just now off the coast of Africa could very well be a tropical storm or a hurricane by this Sunday. Could this be Bill?

From NextGov, on setting the record straight on the cyber mission:

Reports of a struggle among agencies about who should oversee governmentwide cybersecurity are inaccurate, and the biggest problem in locking down federal networks is recruiting enough information security workers, said Homeland Security Department officials.

"The misconception that concerns me most is that infighting is happening" among the federal agencies involved in cybersecurity initiatives, said Phil Reitinger, deputy undersecretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate in an interview with Nextgov. "I just don't see that. Are there disputes between agencies? Yes. Are there arguments between components of DHS? Yes. We're people -- that's how it works.

But the degree of collaboration and joint work around the mission is really amazing. There's hard commitment in DHS and across agencies . . . and a deep well of shared experience."

Leadership Events
11 AM CDT
Secretary Napolitano, Mexican Attorney General Eduardo Medina-Mora, Mexican National Public Security System Executive Secretary Jorge Tello Peón, ICE Assistant Secretary John Morton and ATF Acting Director Kenneth E. Melson will participate in a press conference
Grand Hyatt Hotel
Texas Ballroom Salon F (Fourth Floor)
600 East Market Street
San Antonio, Texas

Public Events
9 AM PDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will participate in a media availability for the opening of the new Los Angeles Emergency Operations Center (EOC)
500 E. Temple Street
Los Angeles, Calif.

10 AM PDT
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Public Affairs Manager Suzanne Trevino will participate in a media availability about paperless boarding pass technology with Continental Airlines representatives
San Diego International AirportTerminal
23707 N. Harbor Drive
San Diego, Calif.

1 PM PDT
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Director Alejandro Mayorkas will officially open the new USCIS field office in West Palm Beach and participate in a naturalization ceremony
USCIS West Palm Beach Field Office
9300 Belvedere Road
Royal Palm Beach, Fla.

3 PM CDT
TSA Public Affairs Manager Sari Koshetz will participate in a media availability to introduce the new Explosive Detection System (EDS) equipment
Tunica Airport
White Oak Road
Tunica, Miss.

BEST Participants Gather for Conference

It was a routine stop at the bridge at the Laredo, Texas, border, as an Oklahoma man in a pickup truck was attempting to cross over into Mexico. But a vehicle inspection unveiled much more, as CBP officers discovered a cache of 22 rifles, two shotguns, a 9 mm pistol, ammunition and other weapons parts hidden in the truck.

A subsequent ICE investigation of that failed smuggling attempt led agents to the residence of a former firearms dealer where nearly 1,000 weapons were discovered, along with a large store of ammunition and $30,000 in cash. That routine stop at the Laredo bridge resulted in unraveling a sizable cross-border gun smuggling operation.

It’s exactly the type of investigation that the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) initiative was set up to tackle. This partnership initiative, led at DHS by ICE, brings together federal, state, local and foreign law enforcement agencies under a shared umbrella with a common goal: To target cross-border crime and associated violence.

With collaboration from CBP, the BEST initiative is the Department of Homeland Security’s response to the increase in violence at the southwest border, where the activities of drug cartels, weapons traffickers and other criminal organizations are taking a toll on communities all along the border.

What is most innovative about the BEST initiative is the way in which it brings law enforcement partners together under one roof with a shared mission. This allows for closer working relationships, more efficient communication and improved coordination among the various entities. Cooperation is key to the success of the BEST initiative.

There are now 15 BEST forces operating on the southern and northern U.S. borders, and they’re getting outstanding results. And right now, from August 11 to 13, 2009, we’re taking a closer look at the progress that has been made, as well as plans for the future, at the BEST Conference in San Antonio, Texas.

This conference, the second of its kind, brings together federal law enforcement officials from a variety of agencies; state and local officials; members of Congress and other elected officials; and our partners from Mexico, Canada, Columbia, and Argentina to discuss the challenges of combating the drug trade, money laundering, gang activity, arms trafficking, human smuggling and other types of cross-border crime.

As assistant secretary for ICE, I am at the conference, meeting with our partners in this successful law enforcement venture—and exploring ways in which we can strengthen these partnerships in order to crack down on criminal activity and tighten security at the borders. I’ll post a wrap-up after the conferences concludes.

John Morton is the Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Morning Roundup - August 12th

From the Los Angeles Times, on the Secretary's address at the Border Security Conference in El Paso yesterday:

One day after President Obama concluded a summit in Mexico, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Tuesday that securing the Southwest border required targeting several issues at the same time: illegal immigration, drug trafficking and violence in Mexico.

Napolitano said her strategy was unlike the Bush administration's, when "the issue of the Southwest border was walled off from all other issues."

"Our approach is to view Southwest border security, along with enforcement of our immigration laws in the interior of the country, counter-narcotics enforcement and streamlined citizenship processes together," she said. "These things are inextricably linked."

Napolitano said the U.S. government is cooperating with the Mexican government more than ever to battle drug-related violence, citing efforts to stop the drugs flowing north and guns and cash flowing south.

"We have a unique opportunity now with Mexico to really break up these cartels," she said. "Shame on us if we don't take full advantage of that."

Napolitano also announced an additional $30 million in federal funds for local law enforcement in California and other border states to better fight trafficking and violence. Agencies in California will receive nearly $7.4 million. The money is in addition to $60 million announced in June.

From the Deming Headlight, on the Stonegarden announcement:

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano took the occasion Tuesday of a Southwest Border Security Conference at the University of Texas at El Paso to announce an additional $30 million for Operation Stonegarden.

The announcement was seen via video conference in five U.S. Border Patrol Stations, including Deming. San Diego, Tucson, and Texas' Del Rio and Rio Grande Valley stations were also online.

Operation Stonegarden, in which the Luna County Sheriff's Office and the Deming Station of the USBP participate, provides funds for equipment and operational costs related to border-area crime. The $30 million is in addition to $60 million already
allocated for the current fiscal year.

"I think that's going to allow state agencies and other municipalities to get involved in coordinating efforts on border violence," said Luna County Sheriff Raymond Cobos, who was at UTEP. "It's a very positive thing."

From the Atlantic Online, a profile of and interview with FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate:

Craig Fugate, the new head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under President Barack Obama, is an unusual choice for the job, historically speaking. Unlike many of his predecessors, most famously Michael "Heckuva Job" Brown under President George W. Bush, Fugate (pronounced few-gate) has experience in the relevant subject matter. A former firefighter, Fugate managed disasters for 20 years in Florida, the fiasco capital of America. Even more bizarrely for FEMA, often a dumping ground for friends of the powerful, Fugate has no political connections to Obama. Instead, he got his job the old-fashioned way-when Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano was looking for candidates, people kept mentioning his name. He has a reputation for telling it like it is-in a field where "it" is usually bad. And what Fugate has to say may come as strong medicine for his fellow citizens, nine out of 10 of whom now live in a place at significant risk for some kind of disaster.

A bear of a man with a white goatee, an aw-shucks accent, and a voice just slightly higher than you expect, Fugate has no university degrees but knows enough to be mistaken for a meteorologist by hurricane experts. He grew up in Alachua County, smack in the middle of Florida. Both of his parents died before he graduated from high school. As a teenager, he followed his father's example and became a volunteer firefighter. Then he became a paramedic, earning the nickname "Dr. Death" for having to pronounce more people dead on his first day than anyone before him. But he found his calling when he moved into emergency management, in 1989. Obsessively planning for horrible things he could not really control seemed to inspire him. "He is emergency management," says Will May Jr., who worked with Fugate for more than 20 years and is now Alachua's public-safety director. "That's what he does. He spends practically all his waking life working in it, thinking about it, talking about it, planning how to do things better."

Public Events
10:30 AM CDT
Office of Counternarcotics Enforcement Acting Director John Leech will deliver remarks at the 2009 Border Enforcement Security Task Force (BEST) Conference
Grand Hyatt Hotel
600 E Market St.
San Antonio, Texas

1:45 PM MDT
National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Control Systems Security Director Sean McGurk will deliver remarks at the 2nd International Symposium on Resilient Control Systems
University Place
1784 Science Center Dr
Idaho Falls, Idaho

Fighting New Flu Strain will take Collective Vigilance

Today, Yahoo News posted an op-ed on H1N1 co-written by Secretary Napolitano, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. In the op-ed, the trio outlines progress on planning for a potential fall resurgence of the H1N1 flu virus, their coordination with local jurisdictions for quick response in case of flu outbreaks, and the importance of proper preventative measures to minimize the spread of the H1N1 virus. An excerpt below:

"Parents should talk to their employers and make child care arrangements in case their kids get sick. And if a school closes, learning shouldn't stop. Schools need to create opportunities to learn online and work with parents to find ways for students to bring textbooks and other resources home. If you're an employer, you should plan to get by with a reduced staff. You don't want an employee who's ill to spread flu in the workplace. If you're a medical provider, you should plan to handle more calls and patient visits. An outbreak will bring people who have flu and people who have flu-related symptoms or concerns into your office. To help people get ready for flu season, we've created a "one-stop" website - www.flu.gov. You'll find tips to prevent, and respond to an outbreak and checklists and fact sheets that will help families, businesses and others get prepared."

Read the full Op-Ed at The Yahoo! News

Secretary Speaking Now

Tune into the Secretary's speech at the Border Security Conference at the University of Texas at El Paso.

View the stream here.

From the White House Blog

Secretary Napolitano posted the following on the White House Blog this morning:

I just returned from Guadalajara, Mexico, where President Obama and I met with our Mexican counterparts to continue our collaboration and cooperation on a range of border issues. Today, I'm at the University of Texas at El Paso for their sixth annual Border Security Conference.

Later this morning, I will deliver remarks outlining the cohesive strategy that we've brought to our border security and immigration enforcement efforts. As someone who has been working on these issues for many years, it's clear to me that as our shared border challenges evolve, our approach must evolve as well. That is exactly what we are doing.

In the six months since President Obama's inauguration, we've instituted polices that reflect the reality that border security, enforcement of immigration laws in the interior of the country, and counter-narcotics enforcement are inextricably linked. In my remarks today I will discuss a new strategy, one that relies on simultaneously addressing all these challenges.

It's an approach that uses the laws we have in ways that are smart, tough, and effective. The UTEP speech will be streamed live at 1:15 PM EDT this afternoon and I invite you to tune in here.

Janet Napolitano is the Secretary of Homeland Security.

You can check out the live stream of the Secretary's remarks here.

Morning Roundup - August 11th

From the Los Angeles Times, an interview with the Secretary:

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano is attending a conference in Texas on border security. She sat down with a Times reporter Monday to discuss a number of issues, including the Mexican drug war, immigration detention in the U.S. and legislative reforms.

How effective have the new technology and extra personnel at the border been, and what more can be done to target the drug cartels and border violence?

They have been very effective because they have been coordinated, they have been targeted, they have been done in collaboration with the Mexicans, which is a change from years past. . . . How has it worked so far? It's done well. What do we need to be doing more of or do differently? We want to continue our joint efforts to add to Mexican civilian law enforcement.

At some point, for example, the military needs to leave Ciudad Juarez and we need to have a civilian law enforcement capacity there. . . . You have got to be able to match manpower with technology, with really good, smart, targeted, intelligence-driven law enforcement to really have a system that makes sense.

From the Associated Press, on the North American Leaders Summit:

President Barack Obama and his counterparts from Mexico and Canada emerged Monday from a speed summit united on recession-fighting and Honduras' ousted leader but still divided on security and trade, the areas that most define their partnership.

The annual three-way meeting lasted barely more than four hours, spanning dinner Sunday night and Monday's morning of talks. There were repeated shows of friendship as the leaders gathered at the Institutos Cabanas, a 19th century home for poor children that's now a sprawling art museum, but there were no concrete announcements.

Further, questions about domestic policy - especially Obama's efforts to overhaul U.S. health care - took much of the attention as the three leaders appeared together before reporters in a graceful stone-arched courtyard.

From the Associated Press, on a new tool to fight smugglers:

U.S. Customs and Border Protection unveiled on Monday a prototype vessel for high-speed pursuits of smugglers ferrying people and drugs from Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean.

The 43-foot boat is faster, more stable and carries about twice as much fuel as the agency's current vessels, which were rolled out from 2001 to 2005.

The $875,000 prototype has infrared cameras and sensors that give detailed images as far as the horizon goes. Currently, agents often use goggles, which detect things only as far as the naked eye can.

The agency hopes to get funding to replace its fleet of about 65 vessels for high-speed chases that are stationed in the Gulf of Mexico, Florida's Atlantic Coast and in the Pacific Ocean near the borders with Canada and Mexico.

Leadership Events
10:30 AM MDT
Secretary Napolitano will meet with members of the Southwest Border Task Force and participate in a video teleconference
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 220
500 West University Ave
El Paso, Texas

11:15 AM MDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the Border Security Conference and participate in a media availability
University of Texas at El Paso
Undergraduate Learning Center, Room 106
500 West University Ave
El Paso, Texas

Public Events
10:30 AM EDT
Office of Health Affairs (OHA) External Affairs Director Bob Davis will participate in a breakout session on nuclear crisis and emergency risk communication at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness.
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Va.

10:30 AM MDT
Assistant Secretary John Morton will announce the repatriation of $2.4 million from a joint investigation between U.S. and Mexico
Grand Hyatt Hotel
600 E Market, Salon F, 4th Floor
San Antonio, Texas

11:00 AM EDT
Cincinnati Resident Agent in Charge Rich Wilkens will announce the arrests and indictments of 50 individuals as part of a national marriage fraud scheme dubbed Operation Honeymoon’s Over
221 East 4th St – Suite 400
Cincinnati, Ohio

1:00 PM EDT
ICE Acting Field Office Director Phil Miller will give a tour of the South Louisiana Correctional Facility for local media and Non – Governmental Organization’s
South Louisiana Correctional Center
3843 Stagg Ave
Basile, La.

Morning Roundup - August 10th

From the Wall Street Journal, on the North American Leaders Summit:

U.S. President Barack Obama arrived in Mexico for his first summit with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts, with economic and security issues high on the agenda.

During the two-day North American Leaders Summit, Mr. Obama, Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper are discussing efforts to stem the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, economic competitiveness, national security, and global climate change, White House officials said. Canada and Mexico are the U.S.'s first- and third-largest trading partners, respectively, and trade-related issues are another focus of the meeting.

Late Sunday afternoon, Mr. Obama joined Mr. Calderon in what one senior administration official described as a "cordial" bilateral meeting. Mr. Calderon raised objections to a U.S. ban on Mexican trucks shipping goods across the border, a violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"I think there's been a clear understanding that this issue was one that was a priority issue and one that everyone would like to see resolved as quickly as possible," the administration official said.

From the Washington Post, on H1N1:

As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere's winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries have been racing to prepare for a second wave of swine flu virus.

At the same time, international health authorities have become increasingly alarmed about the new virus's arrival in the poorest, least-prepared parts of the world. While flu viruses are notoriously capricious, making any firm predictions impossible, a new round could hit the Northern Hemisphere within weeks and lead to major disruptions in schools, workplaces and hospitals, according to U.S. and international health officials.

"The virus is still around and ready to explode," said William Schaffner, a Vanderbilt University School of Medicine influenza expert who advises federal health officials. "We're potentially looking at a very big mess."

President Obama arrived in Mexico on Sunday for a two-day summit that will include discussions on swine flu, along with Mexico's drug wars, border security, immigration reform and economic recovery.

"Everyone recognizes that H1N1 is going to be a challenge for all of us, and there are people who are going to be getting sick in the fall and die," said John Brennan, the U.S. deputy national security adviser for counterterrorism and homeland security. "The strategy and the effort on the part of the governments is to make sure we . . . collaborate to minimize the impact."

From MSNBC, on counterfeit cash:

Nicholas Ostergaard has a new policy at the Jukebox, the deli and pub he owns in Indian Trail, N.C.: "No more hundreds."

The Jukebox now accepts nothing bigger than a $50 bill after a teenager paid for an $11 order last month with what turned out to be a fake $100 bill and walked away with $89 in change.

"I instantly thought it was fake," Ostergaard said. But when he checked the bill with a detector pen - a common device that uses iodine to verify U.S. currency - "it came up it was real."

That made the deli another victim in what the U.S. Secret Service said was an ambitious counterfeiting operation that has spread as much as $60,000 in phony currency at businesses from Hickory to Greensboro, in central North Carolina, just since May.

Leadership Events
8:45 AM EDT
Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute will deliver remarks at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel
2799 Jefferson Davis Highway
Arlington, Va.

Public Events
8 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will deliver opening remarks at the 2009 National Conference on Community Preparedness
Hyatt Regency Crystal City Hotel
Arlington, Va.

2:30 PM MDT
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton will participate in a panel discussion on The Merida Initiative at the Border Security Conference
University of Texas at El Paso
500 W. University Ave.
El Paso, Texas

Guidance for Schools on H1N1

The Secretary just put up a post on the Leadership Journal providing some guidance to schools about H1N1. Check it out.

Morning Roundup - August 7th

From the Washington Post, on reforming immigration detention:

The Obama administration announced plans Thursday to restructure the nation's much-criticized immigration detention system by strengthening federal oversight and seeking to standardize conditions in a 32,000-bed system now scattered throughout 350 local jails, state prisons and contract facilities.

John Morton, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, said his goal within three to five years is to hold noncriminal immigrants in a smaller number of less prison-like settings. Those facilities would meet federal guidelines ensuring access to pro bono legal counsel, medical care and grievance proceedings, he said.

"We need a system that is open, transparent and accountable," Morton said. "With these reforms, ICE will move away from our present decentralized jail approach to a system that is wholly designed for and based on civil detention needs and the needs of the people we detain."

The new approach comes after a massive detention buildup under President George W. Bush, an increase that civil liberties and immigrant advocacy groups say led to systemic abuse. Starting after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and accelerating as Washington took a get-tough approach to illegal immigration, ICE's detention system more than tripled in size. It now houses nearly 400,000 immigration violators a year.

From the Associated Press, on the updated hurricane outlook:

The Atlantic hurricane season will be less active than originally predicted, government forecasters said Thursday after the first two months of the half-year stretch passed without any named storms developing.

Updating its May outlook, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said a warmer weather pattern called an El Nino over the Pacific Ocean was acting as a damper to tropical storms in the Caribbean and neighboring Atlantic.

But forecasters at NOAA's National Hurricane Center warned people to remain vigilant because the peak period for hurricanes runs from this month through October. The overall season lasts from June through November.

From the Baltimore Sun, on crab canneries no longer in a pinch:

Maryland seafood processors, desperately short of hands to pick crabmeat, are rushing to apply for visas for foreign workers after the federal Department of Homeland Security declared Thursday that 25,000 seasonal immigration permits have gone unclaimed for this year.

The unexpected discovery that some of the annual allocation of 66,000 seasonal worker visas were still available was a welcome relief for the operators of Eastern Shore crab "picking houses," some of which had remained shuttered when the season started in the spring because they could not find enough help.

Even in a region with nearly double-digit unemployment, the crab companies remain reliant on migrant labor from abroad because so few local residents are willing to take the messy, repetitive jobs.

Recent employment drives have been unsuccessful, leaving employers to wait for federal relief.

"This is great news, just huge," said Jack Brooks, president of the Chesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association, and co-owner of J.M. Clayton Co., a Cambridge picking house that has been operating with less than half its normal staff. He and others say the federal announcement came in the nick of time to save the state's seafood industry from the brink of economic calamity.

From the Wall Street Journal, on yesterday's denial of service attacks:

Multiple Internet sites, including popular hangouts Twitter and Facebook, were temporarily disrupted Thursday after they were struck by apparently coordinated computer attacks.

Users were unable to access Twitter's Web site for about two hours starting around 9 a.m. EDT. Around the same time, Facebook users saw delays logging in or using the social network.

Facebook Inc. and Twitter Inc. were working together with Google Inc. to investigate what happened, according to a person familiar with the matter. Another person familiar with the attack said it may have been targeted at a single Russian activist blogger with accounts across the impacted services.

The companies traced the problem to what the computer industry calls "denial-of-service" attacks, which are designed to make sites inaccessible by overwhelming them with a flood of traffic. Though such attacks are fairly routine, simultaneous action against multiple consumer Internet companies is rare.

Leadership Events
9:16 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano, Secretary Sebelius, Secretary Duncan and CDC Director Tom Frieden will participate in a news conference about new H1N1 School Guidance
Health and Human Services Headquarters
200 INDEPENDENCE ST. SW
WASHINGTON, D.C.

Public Events
10:00 AM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard Commandant Admiral Thad Allen will preside at the Change of Watch where Vice Admiral David Pekoske will relieve Vice Admiral Vivean Crea as the Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard
Coast Guard TISCOM
7323 Telegraph Road,
Alexandria, Va.

2:00 PM EDT
ICE Special Agent in Charge Bruce Foucart will participate in a media availability announcing arrests pursuant to an ICE-led Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) case
Bristol County District Attorney’s Office
888 Purchase Street
New Bedford, Mass.

Morning Roundup - August 6th

From the Tacoma News Tribune. Looks like someone's headed into the penalty box:

A 24-year-old Canadian woman is facing a federal charge after she was allegedly arrested near the border in Whatcom County with 577 pounds of marijuana.

A U.S. Border Patrol unit stopped Brandine Phillips in a pickup truck as she was about to turn onto Highway 542 near Maple Falls early Tuesday morning. Charging papers say the marijuana was packed in 12 hockey bags.

According to the documents, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents had been tailing Phillips for days, and watched her drive from the Nooksack River Casino up a remote, one-lane, dead-end road toward the Canadian border. The ICE agents began following her again at a distance after she drove back down the road, and that's when the Border Patrol unit intervened and pulled her over.

From the Washington Post, on more funding for anti-terror teams for the Washington, D.C. Metro system:

The federal government will pay almost $10 million for the Metro Transit Police to put 20 officers on five anti-terrorism teams, Metro officials announced Wednesday.

The department has a Special Response Team, said spokeswoman Cathy Asato, but the force has not had specific teams focused on counterterrorism. A Department of Homeland Security transit grant program will provide the money to create them.

"They're going to recruit from within to form these anti-terror teams," Asato said, "then we'll recruit 20 new officers to fill their spots."

The 420-member force will increase by almost 5 percent as a result of the hires. Metro said that the four-person units will increase law enforcement visibility in stations and that the teams would increase random patrols of Metro facilities and vehicles, respond more quickly to suspicious packages and gather intelligence that might be shared with federal law enforcement officials.

Leadership Events
11:30 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano and Senator Landrieu will participate in a media availability
Russell Senate Office Building, Room 428A
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
11:00 AM EDT
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Secretary John Morton will announce major reforms to ICE’s immigration detention system during a media teleconference
Potomac Center North
500 12th St. SW

1:00 PM EDT
U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) Vice Commandant Admiral Vivean Crea will participate in a panel discussion on women in military service and the legacy of WWII Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARs)
Coast Guard Headquarters
2100 2nd Street SW
Washington, D.C.

1:30 PM EDT
DHS Office of Health Affairs (OHA) Chief Veterinarian Thomas McGinn will deliver remarks about agriculture and veterinary preparedness at the Foreign Animal and Emerging Disease training course
The University of Tennessee
Conference Center
600 Henley Street
Knoxville, Tenn.
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - August 5th

From Federal News Radio, on the Secretary's cybersecurity speech yesterday:

The Homeland Security Department has reorganized how it oversees cybersecurity.

Department Secretary Janet Napolitano says as DHS grew up over the past six years, cybersecurity was spread throughout the agency. She says this was a common issue across the government not just within DHS.

But now under Phil Reitinger, the deputy undersecretary of the National Protections Program Directorate, DHS's structure has improved.

"If the question is who at DHS do you call, it's going to be Phil or someone who works for him," says Napolitano Tuesday during a cybersecurity conference sponsored by the Secret Service and DHS in Washington.

"One thing we have done is to take cyber and elevate its prominence within the department and concentrate all key personnel decisions and the like about cyber under one person, Phil, who reports to an undersecretary, who reports directly to me. So you have a command and control structure that elevates cyber within all of the many threats DHS has to deal with."

From the Associated Press, on a new intelligence center at Selfridge:

The federal government is building an intelligence gathering center designed to help detect smuggling, terrorism and other crime across the long and liquid Great Lakes border between the U.S. and Canada, authorities said Tuesday.

The $30 million Operational Integration Center at Selfridge Air National Guard Base is the first center of its kind on the northern border and is expected to open next May. It will analyze and act on aircraft video, border camera images and other information from several federal, state and local agencies.

Officials say the center eventually should incorporate data from satellites, unmanned aircraft and other sources, and provide real-time information from across the entire Great Lakes border.

The base is in Macomb County's Harrison Township, 20 miles northeast of Detroit.

The Department of Homeland Security has several centers that gather and share law enforcement resources along the U.S.-Mexico border. But officials said Tuesday that the Michigan operation will be a big boost for the northern border, which is nearly twice as long as its southern counterpart and historically has received fewer resources despite threats such as the smuggling of drugs, people and weapons.

Public Events
10 AM CDT
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Assistant Special Agent in Charge Roy Rivera will participate in a media availability about human trafficking and child pornography hosted by the Children at Risk Organization
1001 East Elizabeth Street
Brownsville, Texas

2:30 PM EDT
Under Secretary for Management Elaine Duke will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia on strengthening the federal acquisition workforce
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Morning Roundup - August 4th

From the Washington Post, on a new FEMA working group focused on the needs of children during a disaster:

The Federal Emergency Management Agency is going to plan more broadly for children and their needs as the government prepares for disasters.

"Children are not small adults," FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said Monday.

Most disaster plans are crafted around adult populations, and people with specific needs - such as children - are often an afterthought, Fugate said in an interview with The Associated Press.

A new FEMA working group will work with the congressionally mandated National Commission on Children and Disasters, created in 2007. The FEMA group will focus on specific guidance for evacuating, sheltering and relocating children; helping childcare centers, schools and child welfare programs prepare for disasters; and making disaster preparation part of the Homeland Security Department's grant programs.

The working group's findings could mean changes to the country's blueprint for disaster response, known as the National Response Framework, Fugate said.

From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, on some new equipment at the Greater Rochester International Airport:

The federal Transportation Security Administration has started using advanced imaging technology to scan passengers at the Greater Rochester International Airport.

The new machine, a backscatter X-ray scanner, is expected to remain in Rochester for a 60-day test period, said John McCaffrey, federal security director of the Greater Rochester International Airport. When using the machine, security officials can quickly and unobtrusively screen passengers without any physical contact. The machine is being used in one of the airport's six security lanes, in place of a metal detector.

"We're very excited to have this equipment in Rochester," McCaffrey said Monday. "This is an additional layer of security that gives our officers the tools to detect threats and has privacy protections built in for the traveling public."McCaffrey said the machine reduces the need for pat-down searches for passengers with joint replacements or other medical conditions, because the machine scans for metal and nonmetal objects in a person. Use of the machine is safe for all passengers, he said.

From the Associated Press, on a terrorism drill in New York City today:

Law enforcers on boats are holding a terrorism drill south of the Verrazano Bridge.

The goal is protect the area from a potential "dirty bomb" or nuclear device.

Participants on about 17 vessels will practice checking for radioactive material.

The exercise is being held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday.

It's part of an NYPD-led initiative called Securing the Cities. The funding comes from the federal Department of Homeland Security.

Leadership Events
8:45 AM EDT
Secretary Napolitano will deliver remarks at the U.S. Secret Service Global Cyber Security Conference
JW Marriott Hotel
Capitol Ballroom
1331 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C.

Public Events
10:30 AM EDT
Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) Administrator Craig Fugate will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery about the needs of children in disasters
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.

Avoiding Alphabet Soup

Say what you will, but if the government does one thing well, it’s acronyms. Here are two new ones for you: PMF and PHF. Rather than try to explain…

PHF Haroon stood up a DHS Attaché Office at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul; PMF Marianna analyzed the 5-year funding strategy for the Department’s HQ facilities consolidation project. PHF Zac led a team to ensure interoperable communications at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, while PMF Evan served as the scientific lead for a risk assessment study group.

They represent the Department to local, state and international governments, first responders and community organizations. They manage projects and people, draft key recommendations and reports, brief the Secretary on key initiatives. They possess graduate degrees from the nation’s top colleges and universities and will soon join the ranks of civil service at DHS, leading America’s effort to protect ourselves against all shared risks.

They are part of the Presidential Management Fellowship (PMF) and Policy Honors Fellowship (PHF) – two programs designed to cultivate a next generation of homeland security professionals. Last week these young leaders met with senior DHS officials to discuss the Department’s future, and learned a thing or two about their bosses in the process.

“You all are leaders – you are the future of this Department,” Deputy Secretary Jane Holl Lute told the Fellows. She gave the Fellows some career advice, and discussed the five keys to running a successful organization:

• Vision
• A Plan
• A Well-Organized Department
• The Right People
• Leadership

Alice Hill, University of Virginia law school classmate and now senior counselor to the Secretary, said she wouldn’t have pegged her former study partner as a politician, but said Napolitano immediately distinguished herself by her raw intellect, photographic memory and excellent judgment.

During the two-hour discussion, Fellows also had the opportunity to hear from Under Secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate Rand Beers, and Law Enforcement Advisor to the Secretary Chuck Marino.

Jamie

Jamie Corbett is a Presidential Management Fellow in the Directorate for Science and Technology at the Department of Homeland Security.

Morning Roundup - August 3rd

An excerpt from the Secretary's interview on CNN last week:

We're joined now by the secretary of homeland security, Janet Napolitano. Madam Secretary, it's good to see you this morning. Thanks for being with us.

NAPOLITANO: Thank you.

ROBERTS: So, this new counterterrorism strategy, you want to involve the public to a greater degree than ever before -- how do you get the public involved in protecting this nation against the threat of terrorism?

NAPOLITANO: Well, one way is being on shows like this one and just saying, "Look, we want to make the country safe, keep the country safe, every individual has a role." Cities, counties, towns, they all have a role -- all of the federal government, of course, is involved, and then, even our international partners. So, it's a multilayer strategy for how to get at this problem.

ROBERTS: You know, if you ride the subway here in New York City, and I do quite often, you see signs all over the place that say, "See something, say something," you know, everybody has to participate. But many people might wonder, you know, will this become a case of, you know, neighbors reporting on neighbors, spying on neighbors? And how do you prevent, you know, an increase of suspicion, particularly across ethnic and religious lines?

NAPOLITANO: Well, I think you're right to point out that there's a balance to be struck. But what we're asking people to do is when they see something unusual, a package left unattended on a subway platform -- we've had incidents even during my short tenure as secretary where an individual seeing a gun being passed in an airport that had been screened that would have gotten onboard but for that passenger sounding the alert. Those are the kinds of things that individuals can help us with.

Public Events
1:30 PM EDT
Assistant Secretary David Heyman will participate in a blogger roundtable at the NAC to discuss the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review
DHS Headquarters
Nebraska Avenue Complex
3801 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, D.C.

3 PM EDT
Management Directorate Acting Chief Procurement Officer Rick Gunderson will testify before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, Federal Services, and International Security about eliminating wasteful contractor bonuses
342 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.