National/Homeland Security
Arizona law highlights need for reform
By Ed Brock (edward.brock@penton.com)
Love it or hate it, Arizona's new immigration statute draws attention to an issue of great importance to local governments: the need for comprehensive immigration reform....
Arizona stands by immigration law
By Ed Brock (edward.brock@penton.com)
Boycotts and pleas from Congress will not delay statute's implementation....
Show me your green card
American City & County asked the readers of its weekly e-mail newsletter if other states should pass laws similar to the one in Arizona....
DHS Calls For More Secure Employment Eligibility Checks
Beginning in February, employers in the United States will not be allowed to use expired documents to verify workers' employment eligibility....
DHS Expands Collection of Biometrics for Visitors
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is expanding the categories of non-U.S. citizens required to provide digital fingerprints and a photograph upon entry to the United States through the US‑VISIT program....
New Homeland Security TV Show Draws Questions
A new reality television show premiering soon focuses on the agencies and employees of the Department of Homeland Security. ...
DHS Says Program Investment Process Lacks Oversight
In fiscal year 2007, the Department of Homeland Security obligated about $12 billion for acquisitions to support homeland security missions. DHS's major investments include Coast Guard ships and aircraft; border surveillance and screening equipment; nuclear detection equipment; and systems to track finances and human resources. ...
New Federal Report Criticizes DHS's Decisions
The Homeland Security Department has done a poor job overseeing the purchase of billions of dollars of equipment and technology since the agency was created five years ago, according to a federal report. ...
U.S. Borders Operating ID Scanning Machines
Agents along the Canada and Mexico borders are using a controversial new machine that can "read" the personal information contained in some government-issued ID cards — such as passports and driver's licenses — as travelers approach a checkpoint. ...
Warning Systems For Helicopters Not Catching On Quickly
A computerized safety system for a helicopter such as the Honeywell model that warns pilots of upcoming and unexpected terrain is considered one of the best defenses against the epidemic of accidents on air ambulance helicopter flights that have killed 35 people in nine crashes over the past 12 months, say federal accident investigators and safety experts....
DHS Cops To Failure To Meet 2012 Cargo Scanning Deadline
Since DHS has admitted to failing to meet the 2012 deadline of scanning 100 percent of all incoming cargo, it has decided to instead get more information about who manufactures and packs the goods....
DHS, Michigan Team Up To Advance Secure ID Initiatives
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has reached an agreement with the state of Michigan to enhance the security features of the state’s driver’s license, which may serve in the future as an acceptable alternative document for crossing the United States’ land and sea borders....
Water Utilities First To Measure Security Progress Under Plan
The water sector is set to become the first of the country’s 18 critical infrastructure and key resource sectors to develop a metric and launch a tool to gauge security progress under the National Infrastructure Protection Plan framework....
Study Alludes To Government Mishandling Social Security Numbers
An investigation slated for the September issue of Consumer Reports and announced in early August has suggested that government leaks of information resulted in the loss or exposure of about 44 million consumer records from 2005 to mid-2008. ...
New DHS Counterintelligence Unit Fights Foreign Threats
Concerns about foreign spies and terrorists have prompted the Homeland Security Department (DHS) to set up its own counterintelligence division and require strict reporting from employees about foreign travel, according to a memo obtained by The Associated Press....
Report Says U.S. Dams Require Better Security
Since the terrorist attacks of 2001, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), which operates and manages dams that provide water and power to millions of people, has invested significant resources in security and is better able to protect its facilities and personnel, says a new report from the National Research Council....
DHS, Against Recommendation, Puts State On Facility Shortlist
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) swept aside evaluations by government experts and named Mississippi as a potential location for a $451 million national laboratory to study some of the world's most virulent biological threats, according to the Associated Press....
Virtual Fence Construction In Arizona Faces Delay
Construction on "virtual fence" projects scheduled along Arizona's border with Mexico is on hold indefinitely because the Interior Department hasn't signed off on use of its lands, federal officials have said....
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Visits NASA Ames
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff visited NASA's Ames Research Center to see first-hand how NASA technology helps the nation deal with disasters....
DHS Releases National Emergency Communications Plan
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) to address gaps and determine solutions so that emergency response personnel at all levels of government and across all disciplines can communicate as needed, on demand, and as authorized....
