Category: Intelligence

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Headline: DHS Issues Waiver to Expedite Border Wall Projects in California

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has issued a waiver, which will ensure expeditious construction of approximately 15 miles of new border wall system in place of dilapidated and outdated designs in the state of California within U.S. Border Patrol’s San Diego and El Centro Sectors.

The waiver was published in the Federal Register on May 15, 2019, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), in partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), will begin construction as early as May 18, 2019.

The projects covered by this waiver are funded by CBP’s Fiscal Year 2018 (FY18) Appropriation. It is not a project undertaken pursuant to the National Emergency Declaration, 10 U.S.C § 284, 10 U.S.C. § 2808, nor does it draw from any other source of funding, including appropriations available to the Department of Defense (DoD).

This waiver is pursuant to authority granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security by Congress and covers a variety of environmental, natural resource and land management laws. Congress provided the Secretary of Homeland Security with a number of authorities necessary to carry out DHS’s border security mission. Section 102(a) of IIRIRA provides that the Secretary of Homeland Security shall take such actions as may be necessary to install additional physical barriers and roads in the vicinity of the United States border to deter illegal crossings in areas of high illegal entry into the United States.

In section 102(b) of IIRIRA, Congress mandated the installation of additional fencing, barriers, roads, lighting, cameras and sensors on the southwest border. Finally, in section 102(c) of IIRIRA, Congress granted to the Secretary of Homeland Security the authority to waive all legal requirements that the Secretary, in the Secretary’s sole discretion, determines necessary to ensure the expeditious construction of the barriers and roads authorized by section 102 of IIRIRA.

The geographic scope of this waiver covers the two areas defined below. These projects will total approximately 15 miles of new border wall system located within these areas (approximately 4 miles in the San Diego Sector and approximately 11 miles in the El Centro sector).

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Headline: Acting Secretary McAleenan Visits the National Vetting Governance Board to Commend Interagency Cooperation

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan visited the National Vetting Governance Board on Friday to congratulate and thank representatives from multiple agencies for their work on standing up the new National Vetting Center (NVC).

In attendance were members from the Department of Justice, Department of State, Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, along with several representatives from the Intelligence Community (IC).

“Led by DHS, the National Vetting Center is an essential and long-awaited component of the U.S. government’s national vetting enterprise,” Acting Secretary McAleenan said. “The NVC fills a critical need to improve how federal officials identify individuals who may present a threat to national security, border security, homeland security, or public safety. The NVC is just another step in realizing the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations regarding the need for interagency collaboration to ‘connect the dots’ and make more informed decisions about threats to the United States.”

The NVC strengthens, simplifies, and streamlines the complex way intelligence and law enforcement information is used to inform operational decisions, allowing agencies to contribute their unique information while complying with applicable law and policy and maintaining robust privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties protections. Furthermore, the NVC’s technology process allows for information held by national security partners to be checked before the travel benefit is issued, ensuring we keep potential threats away from our borders.

The Acting Secretary expressed gratitude to the group, highlighting the immediate impact on the of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s mission. “Through the NVC, CBP can now receive near-real time responses from national security partners for more than 35,000 Electronic System for Travel Authorization applications each day.”

However, he stressed that while DHS is tasked with managing the NVC, the NVC process that has been designed is a resource for the entire government and will support additional vetting programs in the future.

National Security Presidential Memorandum-9, signed Feb. 6, 2018, called for the establishment of the NVC. The Memorandum also directed the creation of an Intelligence Community Support Element, which facilitates, guides, and coordinates all IC efforts to use classified intelligence and other relevant information within IC holdings in direct support of the NVC. The Center officially began initial operations in December 2018 and currently supports the vetting of visa waiver travelers.

View the fact sheet on the National Vetting Center here.

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Headline: DHS, DOL to Publish Joint Rule for Additional Visas for Returning Foreign Workers

WASHINGTON – On May 6th, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin K. McAleenan announced that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL) will publish a joint rule making available an additional 30,000 H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas for Fiscal Year 2019. These supplemental H-2B visas are available only to returning workers who received an H-2B visa, or were otherwise granted H-2B status, during one of the last three fiscal years (FY 2016, 2017, or 2018), and availability is restricted by prioritizing only those businesses who would suffer irreparable harm without the additional workers.

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Headline: Acting Secretary McAleenan Statement on U.S. Secret Service Leadership

WASHINGTON – On May 3rd, Acting Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan released the following statement on U.S. Secret Service leadership: “After a long and distinguished career, this week Randolph D. “Tex” Alles stepped down as Director of the U.S. Secret Service. Mr. Alles has led the dedicated men and women of the Secret Service with professionalism for the past two years. Before that, I had the distinct honor to serve with him at U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) where he held the position of Chief Operating Officer. Before joining CBP, he served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 35 years, retiring in 2011 as a Major General. As a Marine aviator, he served in numerous leadership positions in both the Marine Corps and joint commands. “I’m also proud to announce that Mr. Alles will transition to a new role with the Department, serving as the Acting Deputy Under Secretary for Management, and will oversee all aspects of the Department’s management programs, including financial, human capital, information technology, procurement, security, and asset management. I thank Mr. Alles for his willingness to serve, and I look forward to continuing to work together in pursuit of our shared mission. Mr. Alles will step in for Deputy Under Secretary Chip Fulghum, who has been integral to ensuring the Department functions efficiently and effectively. Mr. Fulghum has served the men and women of DHS with distinction since first joining in 2012, and we are forever grateful for his service. I wish him the very best in the years ahead. “Today, President Donald J. Trump officially announced the appointment of James M. Murray as Director of the U.S. Secret Service. Mr. Murray began his Secret Service career in 1995 as a Special Agent in the New York Field Office, where he conducted cyber-enabled financial crime investigations and served as the agency’s representative to the FBI-NYPD Joint Terrorism Task Force. Since then he has held a variety of positions in the Secret Service, including in the Presidential Protective Division and as the Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office. From 2016-2018, Mr. Murray served as Deputy Assistant Director of the Office of Protective Operations, where he led combined agency efforts for the 2016 Campaign, Presidential Transition and Inauguration. Mr. Murray served twice at the James J. Rowley Training Center in Beltsville, Maryland, first as the Assistant Special Agent in Charge in 2012 and then in 2018 as the Special Agent in Charge. In April 2018, Mr. Murray returned to the Office of Protective Operations as the Assistant Director. With his experience and commitment to the Secret Service, I’m confident he will continue to lead with distinction and I look forward to working with Jim.”

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Headline: White House Cybersecurity Workforce Executive Order Bolsters U.S. Frontline Defenses, Aids Job Creation

On May 2, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the federal government to take critical steps to strengthen America’s cybersecurity workforce. Importantly, the Executive Order will enhance mobility of our country’s frontline cybersecurity practitioners, support the development of their skills to encourage excellence in the field, and help ensure the United States keeps its competitive edge in cybersecurity. The United States currently has a shortage of 300,000 cybersecurity practitioners.

“America’s cybersecurity practitioners—whether working in the private sector or serving in the federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial governments—constitute a core element in our country’s frontline defense, and we must urgently bolster them in the face of a myriad of cybersecurity threats,” said Acting Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan. “DHS and this Administration are committed to bold action. From enabling movement between the private and public sectors to supporting our workforce’s training, education, and development, the President’s action today sets the course to expand and sustain the workforce and ensure America keeps its competitive edge in the critical field of cybersecurity.”

Under the Cybersecurity Workforce Executive Order, the Department of Homeland Security will work with partners from around the federal government on several initiatives to strengthen the workforce. DHS will create the Federal Cybersecurity Rotational Program, in which Information Technology (IT) and cybersecurity practitioners in the federal government can serve temporary assignments in DHS, and vice versa, sharing knowledge and cybersecurity best practices, undergoing training, and providing invaluable, varied experiences to the workforce. Additionally, DHS will identify aptitude assessments for use in identifying current employees who would be excellent candidates to work in IT and cybersecurity.

Together with the Department of Defense, the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the Office of Management Budget, and other partner agencies, DHS will plan the President’s Cup Cybersecurity Competition to spur competition as well as challenge and reward the best federal and military cybersecurity practitioners and teams. DHS and the Department of Commerce will create a National Cybersecurity Workforce Consultative Process, in which stakeholders from the private and public sectors, from the federal level to local and tribal governments, academia, and others, will assess the cybersecurity workforce and make recommendations to strengthen its skill sets. DHS will further work with other departments to identify and mitigate federal and non-federal skill gaps specific to critical infrastructure and defense cybersecurity through development of appropriate training curricula. Finally, DHS will encourage the incorporation of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education to support training and workforce development around the country. 

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Headline: Acting Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan Joins Second Lady Karen Pence to Announce Partnership between U.S. Coast Guard and LinkedIn

WASHINGTON – On May 1st, Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence was joined by Homeland Security Acting Secretary Kevin K. McAleenan to announce a new partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) and LinkedIn. The agreement was sealed by a Memorandum of Understanding providing a free one-year premium LinkedIn membership to USCG spouses after a permanent change of station (PCS) move to help them obtain employment. Importantly, this vital benefit eases some of the challenges associated with finding employment and helps military spouses re-establish their careers after a PCS move.

The Department of Defense (DOD) previously established a partnership with LinkedIn allowing DOD spouses to receive a free LinkedIn premium membership for a year both before and after each PCS move, but the initial agreement excluded the U.S. Coast Guard.

“Military spouse employment is a very important aspect of a strong and resilient military family, “ said Mrs. Pence. “ Our work to develop a partnership with LinkedIn to include Coast Guard military spouses with LinkedIn premium access started last fall. We commend Microsoft and LinkedIn for working with the United States Coast Guard to expand their program to Coast Guard military spouses. This new collaboration will help spouses with employment opportunities and will make job hunting easier.”

Second Lady Pence has become a champion for awareness of the challenges unique to military spouses, including obtaining employment after a PCS move. A proud military mom, whose son serves in the Marines, Mrs. Pence understands the struggles associated with repeated moves of military families. Second Lady Pence advocated to LinkedIn to facilitate expanding this benefit to include the Coast Guard, the only Armed Force in the Department of Homeland Security.

“We are committed to helping as much as possible, and today I’m glad we can make that next move a little bit easier through this partnership with LinkedIn,” McAleenan said. “And I want to thank LinkedIn for partnering with us on this. Helping families get settled in a new community after a PCS move will go a long way.”

The partnership provides much deserved support to U.S. Coast Guard spouses and families, improving the overall readiness of our forces.